My mind went to sounding balloons electronics. Launched multiple times a day from multiple locations, land pretty much wherever, often recovered by amateurs but often not. Electronics are not the worst environmental offender on those payloads (batteries, Styrofoam case…) but it checks the tickboxes of short lived electronics.
17% extra isn’t much, especially if the manufacturing is within the EU, where it could be seen as an investment.
It’s not zero either. I wish the real “savings” of relying on final products imports would be more quantified like this. It might not be worth it, sometimes.
But then, how much of that supply chain is china-free, once you go past the first level of the bill of materials.
I am often fatigued by Cassandras. They are right, of course, but its their curse. They are EXHAUSTING. Cory Doctorow is a Cassandra that often offers perspectives to show the way out (or A way out) of whatever doom he’s presenting. And pragmatism is part of why I like him. I’m tired of purism.