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42 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2025 dependent on imported inputs to maintain its pro- duction capacity. In 2023, China imported approximately $630 bil- lion in electronics-related components, far surpass- ing the input import volumes of any other country. These include semiconductors from Taiwan and South Korea, sensors and memory from Japan, and high-end manufactur- ing equipment from the United States and Europe. While China dominates final assembly, its manufactur- ing strength is built on a steady inflow of upstream technologies it does not fully control. This reli- ance underscores the structural interdependence that defines the sector. Even a country with China's scale and strategic ambition cannot operate inde- pendently within today's complex electronics sup- ply network. The rise of Vietnam, Mexico, and India as elec- tronics exporters is often framed as evidence of a major geopolitical and economic shift, a rebalanc- ing away from China. On the surface, these coun- tries appear to be success stories of supply chain diversification, attracting multinational investment and expanding their share of global electronics exports. However, a deeper look reveals a more complex picture: Rather than becoming self-suf- ficient manufacturing hubs, these countries are emerging as new nodes in a globally integrated system, and they too are dependent on imported components to fuel their growth. This global interdependence suggests that the electronics supply chain is not becoming less global. It is becoming more geographically distrib- uted, with specialized roles for each country. Viet- nam, Mexico, and India are not replacing China. They are extending the chain, sometimes add- ing complexity rather than reducing it. For policy- makers and businesses alike, this raises important questions. What does "supply chain resilience" look like in a world where no country controls the full manufacturing stack? How should trade policy evolve when diversification leads to deeper, not shallower, global entanglement? The Decoupling Disconnect There is growing political appetite for reshoring and decoupling, fueled by rising geopolitical ten- sions, pandemic-era supply disruptions, and con- cerns about economic security. Policymakers across major economies are calling for greater self-sufficiency in strategic sectors, especially in electronics. But the economic structure of global D r. Shawn D uBravac