Geography · Economic geography
Global supply chains
How a phone is made across ten countries.
Why phones travel the world before they reach you
A smartphone contains around seventy different materials from every continent. No single country has all the resources, skills and factories needed. Companies spread production across many nations to find the best materials, lowest costs and specialist workers. This network of linked countries is called a global supply chain. Each stop adds value to the product.
Mining the raw materials
Rare earth metals come from mines in China, Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lithium for batteries is extracted in Chile and Argentina from vast salt flats. Copper wiring uses ore from Peru and Zambia. Coltan, needed for circuits, is dug from mines in central Africa. These raw materials then travel thousands of kilometres to processing plants.
From components to assembly
South Korea and Taiwan manufacture memory chips in ultra-clean factories called fabrication plants. Japan produces camera lenses using precision glass-cutting technology. China assembles most phones, connecting hundreds of tiny components by hand and machine. Workers in huge factories like Foxconn put together up to half a million phones daily. Finally, phones ship to distribution centres worldwide.
Why companies choose different countries
Businesses pick locations based on several factors. Countries with rare minerals attract mining operations. Nations with skilled engineers win high-tech manufacturing. Places with lower wages often handle assembly work. Good transport links matter too—airports and ports speed up shipping. Tax laws and trade agreements also influence where companies build factories.
Worked examples
1. A phone contains lithium from Chile, chips from Taiwan and is assembled in China. How many countries are in this supply chain?
- Count each country mentioned: Chile (lithium), Taiwan (chips), China (assembly).
- Three different countries contribute to making this phone.
- The supply chain spans three nations across three continents.
2. Why might a company mine copper in Zambia but assemble phones in China?
- Zambia has rich copper deposits underground—a natural resource advantage.
- China has millions of trained factory workers and established electronics factories.
- Companies locate each activity where conditions are best for that specific task.
3. If shipping costs rise, how might a supply chain change?
- High shipping costs make long-distance transport expensive.
- Companies might source materials closer to assembly factories.
- Some firms may build factories nearer to customers to reduce transport.
Try it yourself
A tablet uses cobalt from Congo, glass from Japan, and is assembled in Vietnam. List two reasons why assembly happens in Vietnam rather than Japan.
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