It is really, really difficult to make consumer goods at a low price point, and still make money off it. All retail stores / distribution chains in Western countries add enormous markups to all products in order to cover costs including wages, taxes, real estate, medical insurance, etc. etc. as well as skimming a profit. The "cut" that the manufacturer gets is typically only a minor part of the retail price.
The "secret" of China is based on not having all those costs loading their products, so they can sell stuff at prices much closer to the real cost of manufacturing. We can't resist the bargains... but they come at the cost of hollowing out our own societies which depend on being able to load retail prices with extraneous costs.
From manufacturing to distribution to retailing to the consumer the economy is much more complex than most people realize. It is easy for the simplistic, ignorant and politicians to identify easy solutions to very complex situations.
I never get tired of quoting H. L. Mencken
For every complex human problem, there is a solution that is neat, simple and wrong.
China and other developing countries have an advantage in manufacturing because of lower labor costs. But manufacturing is only a part of the cost of the final product sold to the consumer. Distribution and retailing are areas where America and Europe are far ahead of China. You can often buy a pair of made in China sneakers cheaper in America than in China precisely because distribution and retailing are much more inefficient in China. The big importers and distributors in America and Europe have this down to a science.
Apple products are made in China but the value added in China is minimal. Most of the price paid by the consumer does not go to China, it goes to America. Development, design, distribution, etc.
Another issue, as you mention, is taxes and other compulsory costs. We all want to enjoy the benefits of the welfare state but for that the State has to collect taxes.
It is just easy to blame China, or Germany or a certain company. People mostly are talking out of their asses and have not the slightest clue about the issues.
In Spain we have LIDL stores, a large German company and a lot of people like to bitch and complain. The issue seems to be a generic "prices are too high, they are taking advantage of us".
One guy was complaining that they sold a certain item cheaper in Germany than in Spain, which he said was unfair. I reminded him that "freedom" means they do not have any obligation to offer the consumer any product at any price. They offer what they think will work for them and you as a consumer are free to take it or leave it.
I suggested that if Lidl is charging more in Spain it may be because they incur higher costs in Spain. Rentals, taxes, energy, etc. who knows. They should be free to run their business as they see fit and we, as consumers, are not entitled to demand they set their prices to our satisfaction.
I get really tired of people whining and moaning that the world is a bad place because of some company, some people or some country. No, we live in the best world that ever existed. We have products and services at our disposal that were unthinkable just a few decades back. And instead of appreciating it and being grateful we bitch because we are afraid poorer people might want a fairer share of the pie.