Hello Michael,
I have enjoyed the posts you have shared on BEE-L over the years!
I almost emailed direct but again I believe the list needs to hear what I am
about to say.

It is impossible to compete with foreign honey in the U.S..
It is foolish to try.

Your business HAS TO BE sustainable. You have got to know your cost in your
honey. Then add a profit to  maintain sustainability.

If sales in stores slow due to your higher shelf price then cut back on
production and store equipment. If you lower your price below sustainability
then you are headed for banckruptcy!

When the price is up I put more hives on the ground. When the price drops
then numbers go down. When honey in the drums price drops (or you can not
find a buyer at even a low price) then I quit trying to produce a huge
amount of honey in the drums!

In todays beekeeping industry you need to adjust to market demands quickly.
I have got as much equipment stored as in use right now.

Mike said:
Makes one wonder...foreign honey is cheaper...for who...the packer?

As long as the consumer buys foreign honey then there is a demand. The
"only" way I can see helping ease the problem is through better label laws
but the big boys got the money to fight label laws and willing to spend the
money to keep label laws the way they are!
Small print for country of origin you can barely read!

Maybe never heard before:
Most of the honey sold by *big* packers to Sam's & wal mart is a mix of all
the loads of poor quality foreign honey bought during the year by the
packer. Not wanting to ruin his grocery store market he gives a wal mart bid
and dumps the honey on a price conscious market.
Each time an inferior honey is dumped on the market people quit using honey
as they think *all * honey tastes as bad as what they just bought at wal
mart!
Another reason they dump I have been told is the slow time it takes for Wal
Mart to pay for the large order. Months is not rare. I have heard  packers
crying about the problem at national conventions.
My self and other beekeepers think the packer/wal mart  problem is
hilarious!
packers are always running on beekeeper money ( send drums of honey and we
will pay in either 60-90 days or up  to two years) and now wal mart is
running on big packer money and they are crying to the beekeepers they have
doing the same thing to for years!
Not much fun to keep going to the mail box for a check which was supposed to
come last week. Beekeepers have waited 2-3 years for packer checks and have
lost the money completely as in the case of Western Commerce.
The above does not fit all packers and some are very reliable.
Bob

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