The new smart watch I bought worked fine, but it "needed" a few accessories. A screen protector, an alternate band, and an extra charging cable to throw in my travel bag were a given. Wanting to give it a home each night, I poked around for a charging stand as well. But unlike the established models, this was a newer entry to the class from a niche manufacturer, and so the pickings were slim.
I scanned a bunch of online message boards to see what others had found. Some pointed to a few bespoke 3D-printed creations on Etsy, but the shipping generally exceeded the cost of the actual item. Then I spotted one link from a user who had gotten a model manufactured for a similar watch which nonetheless worked. I took a look, and indeed, it seemed to be exactly what I wanted. To top it off it was listed at the bargain price of $2.70. Only one issue: it was in China.
Now, I do not profess to be an expert on global trade. Like most, I read the news and see the machinations about shipping and tariffs and blockades, but other than awareness I don't really know how it all works. For sure I see the effects as prices rise and fall, as the supply of certain items seems to dwindle, as merchants apologize for delivery delays or out-of-stocks. I know that China is a threat to us both militarily and economically, and that, whether you agree or disagree with the actions taken, goods coming to and from there are subject to all kinds of regulations and charges and penalties.
On the first issue, while it's possible this little 3-piece plastic nothing is a threat to natural security, I tend to doubt it. Yes, they could be hiding a virus inside a micro-miniaturized chip built into it that will infect my new watch, so that when I sync it to my computer it will reach through the internet and take down all of Google and Microsoft. Likely not. As to the second issue, between tariffs and the elimination of the de minimis exemption, I have seen how cheap little nothings get hit with prohibitively high additional charges. In one case the cost of a fun little keychain I found on the mainland to buy for a gift was just 59 cents, but it was saddled with a shipping cost of $59.41. I gave the person some candy instead.
Back to the stand: while the price was right, there was the matter of the add-ons. Not expecting a positive outcome, I punched through to the "complete your purchase screen" so I could see the final tally. For sure, a tax was added; 23 cents. But on the line for customs and duties was big fat zero. Likewise for shipping: zip. So the grand total came to $2.93, expressed from Zhejiang, and guaranteed to be on my doorstep in 10 days or my money back. Hoping it wasn't a sting operation by the FBI to paint me as an undercover spy, I clicked "BUY."
Day by day, hour by hour, I got emails detailing the movement of my purchase. On April 4 at 23:03 it was being packed. It left the warehouse the next day, was received at the sorting center that evening, and was at the airport the day after that. It cleared export customs a day later, and was put on a plane at five in the morning. Some 16 hours later it landed on these shores, and a day later it cleared import customs. Eventually it got picked up by a courier, made its way into the US postal system, and showed up in my mailbox at 1:24PM on April 13, just 9 days after I clicked. The cost, including the product, advertising, processing the payment, taxes, duties, air freight from China, plus last mile delivery to my house in less than 10 days? A touch under three bucks.
Better minds than mine have done the calculations as to how this was a profitable sale. How this de minimus purchase escaped the regulations put in place just for this kind of transaction is probably explainable. And with all that is happening in the world, there is probably a reason that this supply chain was so smooth. Maybe someone can explain it all to me. But I think not.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford buys lots of little things. His column appears weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
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