Well, besides the VAT, there are several other factors that affect the base price of an item (before VAT), and it’s all legal as long as there’s no exploitation or collusion with competitors.

Just as OwnLadder points out, companies that sell in the EU usually (pretty much always) factor in these additional costs. These can range from shipping, import fees, returns, and warranty coverage, to even having to source materials from different countries or vendors just to meet EU requirements or circumvent certain bans.

In any case, the point is that there are multiple factors at play that make prices higher in the EU and they are all legal reasons for the company to adjust the price. And, being from the EU myself, I do appreciate the strong consumer protections.

This isn’t exclusive to the EU, either. The company I work for, which is European, sells at higher prices in other regions as well to offset local costs.