It had to happen sooner or later...

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

And it's not just their naval shipyards, it seems to be endemic to their whole fabrication industry. Two examples, one from personal experience and one from a friend who worked in mine site construction...

All the steel beams had to be shipped about 1500km (approx 930 miles) to Perth to be fixed for a not insubstantial cost - the rumour being that the whole exercise cost as much as if they'd just bought the beams from an Australian company.

Wait a minute. Are you saying that the cheapest option isn't always the cheapest option? I hope someone tells the self-congratulatory crew in charge of the new [San Francisco] Bay Bridge before they install cheap Chinese steel in the bridge...