Yes it does cost and it DOES make a difference. You think radial aircraft engines that use chrome plated cylinders are gonna go with china chrome? Yeah, lets see how that works out. I've seen that kinda chrome up close first hand and it's a work of art!
The shop a friend owns now just does industrial plating. Things like shafts that are built up with hard chrome for the machine shops.
No more ornamental plating, the tanks we empty last visit there