TIL China was unable to manufacture a ballpoint pen entirely by itself until 2017. The problem was the high-precision machinery & ultra-thin steel needed to make the tiny ball that dispenses the ink. Up until then, China's steel hadn't been good enough, but after 5 years of research they solved it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38566114
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1g1w6eg/til_china_was_unable_to_manufacture_a_ballpoint/