The Us Consumer Electronics Industry And Foreign Competition

This book addresses the crucial question of America's adjustment to changes in the international economy. It examines policies that will deal effectively with the continuing erosion of the U.S. share of exports and production in world markets and explores in particular the debate on "industrial policy."

This eight-chapter report is one of seven industry-specific studies conducted to identify global shifts of industrial technological capacity on a sector-by-sector basis, to relate those shifts in international competitive industrial advantage to technological and other factors, and to assess future prospects for further technological change and industrial development. The methodology of the studies included a series of panel meetings involving discussions between experts, resource personnel, and government agency and congressional representatives. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 examine, respectively, the challenge to United States' leadership in electronics, financial and human resource constraints, and barriers to international trade. Chapters 3 to 7 focus respectively on: the semiconductor industry (considering its size, structure, and international position, the semiconductor manufacturing process, and bases for competition); the computer industry (considering its size, structure, and international position, its changing economics, and bases for competition); the telecommunications industry (considering its size, structure, and international position, developments in transmission technology, and bases for competition); and the consumer electronics industry (examining its size and international position and the factors of Japanese success in the industry). Chapter 8 considers research, capital formation, human resource, and international trade policy options for the U.S. electronics industry. (JN)

Global competitiveness has always been a hotly debated issue, promoting differing opinions among economists, management strategists, business leaders, and policy analysts and consultants. Global Economic Competition provides a broad framework to compare the United States economy with 23 other global economies. This is done by presenting empirical evidence in a series of comparative analyses of economic competition using data pertaining to specific countries, industries and companies. In this volume, the electronics industries are used to illustrate an ongoing economic warfare among competing regions, nations, and cluster companies across the electronic technology chain. Employing the latest empirical data to evaluate the competitiveness of the US economy and its electronic industries and companies in the 1980s and early 1990s, Global Economic Competition will be of interest not only to those who study economics, management science and international trade, but also to policy makers and business leaders.