OK, "never" is a bit
strong, but often countries will have two grades of a product (this usually pertains to food and alcoholic beverages). The lower of these two grades is labeled "
export grade" and is shipped off to other countries while the top
grade is kept "in house" to be enjoyed by the native
populace.
It is often said that "the
brie is better in
France" or "the beer is better in Germany" this is often applied even if the only brie or beer that person has ever tried has been "
imported".
The French (on the whole) are incredibly
guilty of this, especially when it comes to food products shipped to america. Although often this "second grade"
wine or
cheese is still better than the american alternatives.
It is also true in
Japan with electronics, they only export older models of VCRs,
Video Game Systems, DVD Players, etc... outside of Japan.