> Could this "E" convention perhaps be more commonly used in
> Europe than in the U.S.?

The terms are not unknown in the US

eg, Google for US E96 resistor

http://www.usmicrowaves.com/appnotes/usm_an_108.htm

Electronic Industry Alliance and ANSI

http://www.eia.org/

It may simply be that non-US companies traditionally use the term,
US companies do not. Chances are that if I see a circuit originating
from the US it will have components that are not common in general
usage elsewhere, such as 4.3k or 20uF. A UK circuit would more
likely be 4.7k and 22uF. As Jan-Erik mentioned, a hobbyist pack
of resistors bought here in NZ for example will be E12 values

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