I mean A could sell apples and buy cherries from C and then sell the cherries to B and buy their beans. That would make a zero sum with both countries. Sure it results in the same end result but with more shiping cost. I think the problem is that many people don’t understand, that a deficit in trade is nothing negative, you are not losing money as a country because you are still getting products.

Nobody complains, that we (as people) have a trade deficit with supermarkets, why don’t they employ us at least for the money we pay in groceries!?