imagine how much easier it would be if the world weren't flat

Dumbass shipping route, just tunnel through.

This is of course drawing lines on a projected globe, rather than straight lines on a round globe. But the reality is not much better—Argentina is almost exactly on the other side of the planet from Thailand. 🫣 Thailand's antipode is just off the coast of Peru, so very close to Argentina.

Really, really irresponsible use of resources. Especially if these pears are shipped by sea. Then it's even worse.

If that were possible, they wouldn't be shipping the back to Taiwan for final processing.

back when i was doing research for the DoD, we would order the PCBs we designed from an authorized US supplier, and we would assemble them with our reflow oven, cuz China was a no-no. Also, PCB assembly is so automated that probably labor cost isn't important anymore, but the supply chain benefits of Shenzhen still win from the logistics perspective

Meaning China is doing what Lenin wanted to do at some point - to use some basic laws of globalization (then imperialism) to kill its source. Formulated as "they will sell us the rope to hang them", and didn't transpire. But, well, Lenin planned for NEP to last till 80s, and then start all the socialist reforms in the society. Then he died. Together with most of those famous Bolsheviks from Soviet movies about the revolution. All from different reasons in a few years.

In this case rejecting the logistical and power benefits from using Chinese labor and facilities seems impossible as of now for Western economies.