I'd bet he's getting some kind of kick back, other than his puny saving, from someone, for taking this bit of biz to China. It just does not make sense, given the fact flashlight o-rings are easily made for cheap, once the mold is created.
Check again. If non-av grade O-rings are still made here, they’re damn hard to find - I spent a week calling around for some.
By the way, his O-rings have to be made of something that doesn’t bond to his anodized aluminum and are not just water but gas tight (so if you use his lights in an explosive atmosphere, you don’t start a fire). They’re a little more complex than “any old o-ring.”