CSV imports fail - stalling In Progress, Runtime Less than 1 second

How can I replicate all the step in this CSV import process manually, to find out where it breaks?

I had already asked how to manually import contacts here and the last answer was essentially that it can’t be done (?).

It should be possible to just go manually through the steps of this failing CSV import process. What database queries are involved? Is there a way to find out, generate a list of SQL to go through?

Which scripts, files, functions are involved?

Etc.