I'm generally assuming Ost made their T1 which is 10 fuel.
Then your comparing apples to oranges. T1 as you know gives you a wide selction of units. T0 just sucks. There really is no major tech advantage with the USF.
Other than their teching is mostly viable. Its not cheap. And they get a Free unit with each Tier. Not sure why the Myth of cheap teching is applied to USF. With Soviets fuel start its about the same.
OKW has the cheap as hell discount super tech. And Ost just eats up some more MP really. And T3 for Ost lacks viability against Jacksons and T4 is just like the USF getting LT, Cap, and Major. I.e. Overpriced.
T1 leaves them with Mortar, MG, Sniper Gren. LT gives MG, M15, M20. So really T0 plus LT is more like half of T1, T2 Ostheer. Without the free LT it would really be a bid disadvantage financially I would expect.
I guess what I am getting at is its flexibility tax for Ostheer. Not that its fair or balanced but you must admit the T0, T1, T2 Ostheer unit lineup is much better then the T0/LT of USF. The only way for USF to match it really would be T0/LT/Captain which of course costs boat loads more then Ostheers tech with similar unit line ups.