As global trade increases, many goods, even those we use in a daily basis, are produced in other countries and have to be transported in long distances. Do you think the benefits of this trend outweigh the drawbacks?

It is a prevailing phenomenon that a significant number of products which include daily necessities are made by foreign countries and shipped over long distances. Personally, I contend that there are more advantages than disadvantages.

On the one hand, I accept that outsourcing the production of some goods and transporting them over a long distance may pose threats to the environment. The primary reason for this is that vessels release a huge amount of Carbon dioxide and other chemical substances such as nitrogen oxides or sulfur oxides into the oceans; therefore, the quality of sea water will be contaminated by pollutants. Data from NASA shows that the the carbon emissions by international shipping reach approximately 3% in a global range, making oversea shipping a major contributor to marine pollution.

On the other hand, however, I would argue that this development would bring more benefits. Firstly, domestic citizens have access to lower-priced items, which should be considered more pressing than the cost of long-transportation. The reason for this is that products are being made in countries such as Vietnam and China always with lower labour costs, which can reduce production expenses. For example, electronics appliances are produced in Asia, enabling people in Western countries to purchase them at a fraction of the cost compared to locally produced alternatives. Moreover, long-distances trading can accelerate other country's economic growth. In the past 20 years, Western countries have built thousands of industries in other nations, such as China and other areas in Africa, which has already provided numerous stable job opportunities to local citizens. Eventually, local residents are possible to find a job and result in raising individuals living standards by earning salaries.

In conclusion, although oversea trading has impact on environmental system because of over carbon emission, lower spending on products and enhancing global economy by offering job positions should be taken into account.