[TheOtherHobbes]

That's pretty much it, although the US and EU do have local printers and paper sources, so not everything goes through China.

China has become popular in recent years because a number of printers offer special editions - sprayed/deckled edges, high quality hard binding - which authors can sell as high-margin items to genre fiction collectors.

Generally, the print industry is incredibly destructive. In addition to all the shipping, it literally eats forests and uses huge quantities of water.

[philips]

I will have to check my shelves but I can’t think of a book I read recently that didn’t say printed in China.

Although most of my book purchases have been kids books or textbooks. Maybe that is the reason.