From the recipient's perspective, the two are pretty drastically different. Importing goods from a foreign country involves some rather substantial regulatory

From the recipient's perspective, the two are pretty drastically different. Importing goods from a foreign country involves some rather substantial regulatory burdens along with the more mundane timing/transportation issues associated with the travel distance. Pulling data off a foreign website is no different for the recipient than it is anywhere else. Even the issues created by the physical distance are relatively minor. This comparison doesn't recognize that difference.