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Author(s)
John VerWey
This paper, the second in a two-part series analyzing the Chinese semiconductor industry, attempts to answer two questions: First, why—in spite of 70 years of industrial planning efforts—can’t China make advanced semiconductors on par with the worldwide industry leaders? Second, what are China’s prospects for success with its current semiconductor industrial plans? This paper reviews the development of the semiconductor industries in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea in the context of literature on latecomer strategies and compares their development with China’s efforts. The paper also considers China’s prospects for success. China’s current plans are well defined, with national champions focusing their efforts on targeted subsectors of the industry, but these efforts will not achieve their desired success due to a lack of human capital and intense international competition.
Author(s)
Samuel M. Goodman
Photovoltaic energy production has increased dramatically over the past decade as manufacturing costs have decreased, power conversion efficiencies have increased, and demand for carbon neutral electricity has grown. Silicon-based solar cells represent the largest market share within the photovoltaic industry, with the remainder substantially composed of the thin-film materials cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). The materials used in CdTe and CIGS are less common and their available supply is mediated by a long value chain. This article examines those value chains, including mining, refining, and solar cell manufacturing to discuss potential bottlenecks for future production. While there is enough of these elements to meet current and near-term demand, the production of CdTe and CIGS solar cells will be fundamentally constrained due to limitations when recovering raw materials from parent ores.
Author(s)
Lin Jones, Christine Kobza, Finian Lowery, Caroline Peters
The evolution of re-exporting hubs, entrepôts, is explored in this paper by looking at trade patterns of merchandise re-exports over the last 20 years through three key economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States), and their inter- and intra-regional linkages. The growth of re-exports of intermediate goods during this period suggests that these economies are playing an increasingly important role in global value chains (GVCs) by acting as hubs in regional supply chains. Findings also indicate that high volumes of intermediate goods that are re-exported appear in sectors in which GVCs have a strong presence, as in the case of semiconductors.
Author(s)
Brian Daigle, Mahnaz Khan
The European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enacted in May 2016 with a two-year implementation period that concluded in May 2018. Since then, EU member states and regional-level data protection authorities (DPAs) have issued over $500 million in fines. Although EU DPAs issued few fines for noncompliance in the first year of implementation, DPAs have subsequently acted much more aggressively against noncompliant firms. This paper will explore the broad trends in investigation and enforcement across the EU in the 21 months following GDPR implementation. These trends include a preliminary analysis of differences in GDPR enforcement in specific EU member states, the GDPR provisions that are most emphasized in enforcement, and the nature of the fines imposed on U.S. and EU-based firms. As of March 2020, the largest fines and enforcement actions under GDPR had occurred principally in Western European countries, with a split between enforcement against both U.S. and EU firms.
Author(s)
Patrick Schneider
On June 13, 2012, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) hosted a roundtable discussion on high-technology (high-tech) trade. Participants from industry, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations shared their perspectives on current and emerging high-tech trade issues.
Author(s)
Eric Weyer
On July 16, 2013, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) hosted its third annual roundtable discussion on high-technology trade issues. Representatives from industry, government, and think-tanks shared their views on a number of high-technology (high-tech) trade issues.
Author(s)
Sharon L.N. Ford
This article explores the development and application of additive manufacturing as well as initiatives in the United States and other countries to advance it. It also examines the technology’s effect on firm and industry production activities, as well as the potential implications for U.S. manufacturing competitiveness focused in three industries. It concludes that the most significant factors affecting the potential of additive manufacturing to contribute to U.S. competitiveness are developing standards, improving the selection and affordability of materials, and increasing the accuracy and reliability of equipment and processes.
Author(s)
Jennifer Baumert Powell
Green building services include construction, architecture, engineering, and related activities aimed at creating sustainable structures using environmentally responsible processes and materials. While the concept of building a structure to complement its surrounding environment is not new, there has been a sharp increase in the demand for green buildings and green retrofits in recent years. This trend can be linked to several factors, including a growing interest in cutting the costs associated with operating a structure, government regulations and incentives, and environmental concerns, among others. Available evidence suggests that U.S. exports and overseas sales of green building services are currently small. However, U.S. firms are internationally competitive, and growth in world markets offers substantial opportunities to green building firms that aim to provide their services abroad. This paper provides an overview of the U.S. and global markets for green building services; discusses factors that affect supply and demand for sustainable structures; examines trade in green building services as a component of overall trade in construction, architectural, and engineering services; and considers the outlook for the green building industry.
Author(s)
Saad Ahmad, Christopher Montgomery, Samantha Schreiber
The Armington elasticity is one of the key parameters in quantitative trade models, as it determines the level of substitutability between domestic and imported varieties of a good in a country. Estimates of this key parameter have been provided by several empirical studies using different methods and data sources. Our goal in this paper is to summarize and compare Armington elasticity estimates that are available at the sector level. We first discuss some of the most commonly used methods for estimating Armington elasticities, as well as the main advantages and challenges associated with each approach. We then compare these Armington elasticity estimates at the sector level and assess if different levels of aggregation are driving the observed differences across studies. We find that the different estimation strategies, in combination with different levels of sectoral aggregation, have contributed to the wide range of elasticity estimates in the literature.
Author(s)
Renee Berry, Matthew Reisman
Providers of cloud computing services are increasingly serving customers outside their home markets and using service delivery models that require the transmission of data across borders. In this article, we present an overview of the global market for cloud services and explore the role of cloud computing in U.S. exports. We then examine the main policy challenges associated with cross-border cloud computing—data privacy, security, and ensuring the free flow of information—and the ways that countries are addressing them through domestic policymaking, international agreements, and other cooperative arrangements. Finally, we identify the particular challenges faced by developing countries as they seek to participate in the market for cloud computing services. Our discussion includes case studies of two of the most important emerging markets for such services—China and India.