Big question that I think is constantly asked is: Why do we still rely so heavily on Chinese manufacturing? The U.S. government has so many motivations to break dependence, so why aren't we able to? How come countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Mexico haven't taken up more market share?
The biggest reason for their sustained lead is really thanks to Alibaba. Alibaba was so successful because they had dedicated teams connecting small to medium manufacturers with other small to medium businesses. Now these teams have been mostly replaced by independent trading companies acting as intermediaries to source and supply, which also helps bridge language barriers.
No other country has really replicated this well in a way that can compete on the same cost basis or scale. Governments haven't invested properly, so they lack equipment and infrastructure. They still have the manpower, but tend to work with much larger contracts. It's also important to note these countries are impacted by cultural standards of consistency and professionalism. China was notorious for cutting corners and outright scams for decades, but this only started to get stamped out as the manufacturing sector developed further.
If you want to build something similar in other countries, you probably need to follow that playbook and first create the digital infrastructure, but just as importantly produce a class of reliable middle management, like trading companies or wranglers.
A big issue with tech and finance coming into these spaces trying to disrupt and solve is they tend to overlook the very human aspects of these systems. Flattened data, charts, and chasing trends fuel funding and investment, but are always blind to the real obstacles you'd hear about from any mid-sized company in the industry. Those that are too small or too big are disconnected in their own ways. These businesses still require a lot of on-the-ground handshake deals and literal wrangling to build a solid foundation and reputation.