if we’re going all the way to Sumatra to import a bulky low-value product like toilet paper, then it’s economic stupidity that is killing off those tigers
You’re correct about such long trips for a freight intensive product like toilet paper, but they are probably just keeping their economic boat afloat while their markets develop closer to the producers.
Papermills are built at the hub of their marketing area. When products gets sent that far from the producer, it’s usually to get their foot into new markets before building a new plant.
Seeing as there are already producers closer to this market, and no one is going to make energy cheaper, or repeal the law of gravity, this must be a move to offset expenses while something else happens.
If this article was about China the above would be wrong. China was and is shipping commodity TP, towels and napkins over here as we speak. Guess where they get the scrap paper to accomplish this, the USA. And you ask how can they possibly get what we call “ledger” ship it to China and then have it come back here. All those empty containers that carry the Chinese crap over here have to get back to China and shipping them empty actually endangers the ships coming back empty, so they fill them with scrap paper over here for just about nothing.
It drives our scrap prices through the roof but it's still cheaper for them because they don't generate scrap paper like we do. Sorry for the long explanation.