Beno,
The level playing field you refer to is non-existent for the most part, with notable exceptions U.K. & Australia - do a google search and check it out - the US Census publishes this data by country. For decades the US imports more from other countries around the world than we export - through August of this year almost a 1/2 billion $ difference. There are many reasons for this - currency exchange advantages, the mountains of documentation required to import into another country, certainly taxes, fees, etc. associated with importation of goods. etc.