You would be suprised how cheap (price) tooling is in China/Taiwan...We have been quoting brake component parts in China with very capable vendors, who are as good or better than some US suppliers, all for about 1/10th the cost of american made tooling.

The $349 for a tail panel is very reasonable in my opinion, and they payback for the tooling may not be as bad as you would think.

As an example, we have tooled rubber parts for brake boosters and typically a rear seal may cost 40-50K in the states with a very reputable mold/die maker. The piece price would be around 20 cents in the US comparatively. A tool in China would cost 5K or less. Die life is much less but it's perfect for low volume, and a cost of 8-12 cents or so.

Prototype tooling is even less because it's soft tooling designed for a specific life. The price might be around 500 bucks. Now a tail panel would be quite a bit more, but still relevant compared to the price charged, just scaled up a bit.

It's amazing how cheaply things can be made overseas, and it's not a guarantee that the parts are of lesser quality? It depends very much on the suppliers chosen.

The chinese manufacturers are getting better all the time, and many of the parts we have on our vehicles today, come from overseas.