[michaelt]

I can get a wifi-enabled microcontroller delivered from China for $3.40 [1] including payment, picking, packing and delivery. And the product is at least $1 of that price.

I find it hard to believe Amazon is spending more than $2 on payment and delivery.

[1] https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004563128378.html

[adrr]

Amazon puts good components in their Echos.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Amazon-Echo-tear...

[sokoloff]

Can you get it the next day/day after? Speed has a value and locality has a cost.

[HDThoreaun]

China subsidizes mail to the US. Amazon has to pay for all their logistics without government support.