What does it mean when...

[wetblowdryer]

I have unemployed pops in, let's say a province where the workers produce timber. However, one of my main imports is timber. What does this mean? (importing it is somehow cheaper than producing it domestically? Is that even a thing in Victoria 2?) Is the trade system more intricate than I first assumed? Or is it just a bug?

 

[Cohacq]

They actually do that. Try increasing your tariffs to make it more expensive to buy it than to make it domestically. People usually never recommend increasing tariffs but it might be fun to play around with.

 

[EllisDee]

Prices are the same across the board. There's no price competition. I think it's just a bug. If some other country has workers that satisfy growing demand, your own unemployed workers won't start work. Happens all the time with Coffee when i take over central Africa. If you're a major power (and therefore floating in cash) you can try setting the stockpile to buy up that good for a while. That'll increase demand and get your workers employed. Then you can cancel, and they'll usually stay employed.

What i don't understand is when it's the things i produce in abundance that are my biggest imports. Right now as Germany i produce 2k Tea, and consume 1.7k...yet Tea is my biggest import, at ~500 units a day. Who's even importing it?
On the flipside i produce about 3k Iron and consume about 7k...yet Iron isn't even mentioned in my imports...

 

[Onirim]

Good question.

I think prices are the same across the board and pops and factories buy always from local market first so I don't see how tariffs can change buying behaviors nor I see how your own demand can be satisfied by foreign products if local products are available.

 

[EllisDee]

Good question.

I think prices are the same across the board and pops and factories buy always from local market first so I don't see how tariffs can change buying behaviors nor I see how your own demand can be satisfied by foreign products if local products are available.

It seems to happen when the good has low demand to begin with, usually because it's not a life need and can't be reliably fulfilled (poor pops). Coffee, Tobacco and Opium are the biggest offenders. Not sure if it's a global thing or just a sphere thing, but they're definitely getting their supply from elsewhere.
It's likely a sphere thing: i'm guessing the AI doesn't differentiate between the local, national market and the collective sphere market.