Take cloning a 1970s car vs an electric one from 2021. While not trivial, I feel if you can make, stamp and weld steel you are half way there for the 1970s. For an electric car you need an enormous supply chain of batteries, microelectronics and all kinds of safety features, etc etc. It's so complicated that big car makers now basically just have one platform of car they base dozens of models off.
However, it's not all bad. China's one child policy is really going to start biting them over the next 10-20 years (and even though they've reduced it now it's hard to see the mindset ever changing) and there will be an enormous demand for cheap labour, which I expect Africa to provide.
Developing countries do not have hugely diverse domestic industries with top of the line offerings. How can one create a successful business if every niche or high quality product you have around costs a lot more for you than for your compettitiors in developed countries?
Maybe if you apply the tariffs very intelligently but most developing countries are not blessed with great non corrupt governments.
The
>pressured into free trade agreements (for example by making aid dependent on this)
is kind of telling. A lot of the long time free trading countries like HK and Singapore don't need aid. It's often the tarrifs that make places poor enough to need that.