News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself (2017).

Re:China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself (2017) by conistonwater on Sunday August 11, 2019 @10:17AM (#20668262)
> This cost the industry $17.3 million a year, according to the China National Light Industry Council.

Is this meant to be a lot of money? On the global trade scale? Or on the scale of China?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself (2017) by rsynnott on Sunday August 11, 2019 @10:52AM (#20668418)
No. That’s why no-one bothered to do anything about it for so long.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself (2017) by dmix on Sunday August 11, 2019 @10:31AM (#20668321)
Considering they manufactured "38 billion ballpoint pens a year" that isn't much no. They probably made all of the costs of buying it from suppliers back in sales margins.

This is more symbolic of their manufacturing and design prowess which historically has been limited to: everyone else does the design, we just build it.

[ Parent | on HN ]