In recent years, much has been made of the success of developing countries, particularly in East Asia, which have achieved economic growth by manufacturing goods which are then exported to developed economies. Case studies of five countries uncover serious potential difficulties in maintaining the pace of manufacturing for export in the developing
Technology and globalization are threatening manufacturing’s traditional ability to deliver both productivity and jobs at a large scale for unskilled workers. Concerns about widening inequality within and across countries are raising questions about whether interventions are needed and how effective they could be. Trouble in the Making? The Future of Manufacturing-Led Development addresses three questions: - How has the global manufacturing landscape changed and why does this matter for development opportunities? - How are emerging trends in technology and globalization likely to shape the feasibility and desirability of manufacturing-led development in the future? - If low wages are going to be less important in defining competitiveness, how can less industrialized countries make the most of new opportunities that shifting technologies and globalization patterns may bring? The book examines the impacts of new technologies (i.e., the Internet of Things, 3-D printing, and advanced robotics), rising international competition, and increased servicification on manufacturing productivity and employment. The aim is to inform policy choices for countries currently producing and for those seeking to enter new manufacturing markets. Increased polarization is a risk, but the book analyzes ways to go beyond focusing on potential disruptions to position workers, firms, and locations for new opportunities. www.worldbank.org/futureofmanufacturing
This study describes and analyses in depth the transformation taking place in world manufacturing industry and its impact on the economies of newly industrialising countries. In Part One, the causes and characteristics of export-oriented industrialisation are studied, often using world-wide cross-country analyses. Trade policies and export strategies underlying such industrialisation processes get much attention. Part Two mainly deals with the domestic preconditions for and consequences of export-oriented manufacturing production, on the basis of detailed case studies of seven East and South-East Asian countries.
Statistical analysis of the export of industrial products from developing countries in the 1970s, and the prospects for market access in the 1980s - reviews trends in industrial production and export patterns, trade and protectionism; develops an econometric model identifying determinants of protection in developed countries; contains projections for growth rate of manufactured exports and protection; examines the implications of protectionist measures. Graphs, references.
Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.
Study of the comparative advantage of the developing countries in promoting labour intensive export oriented industries and the implications thereof for industrialization policy - asserts that the volume of exports is largely dependent on policies oriented on exploiting the opportunities in international markets, and covers factor proportions and price competitiveness, manufacturing exports, the leontief paradox, etc. Bibliography pp. 138 to 140 and statistical tables.
