China's evolving role in global production networks: Implications for Trump's trade war

Arbeitspapier

This paper examines China's evolving role in global production networks and its implications for assessing the potential impact of the "trade war" declared by President Trump. The analysis, which is based on a systematic disaggregation of trade based on global production sharing into components and final assembly, suggests that the Sino-US trade gap is a structural phenomenon driven by the pivotal role played by China within East Asia cantered production networks. The global competitiveness of US MNEs depends on their ability to use China as the production base for supplying the rest of the world, and China is now an important supplier of components used in US manufacturing. Given this intricate interdependence between the two economies within global production networks, attempt to impose punitive tariffs on China is bound to face formidable opposition from business interests in the United States. Even if the protectionist threat becomes a reality, the impact may not be as damaging as commonly thought because global production sharing has considerably weakened the link between relative prices and trade flows.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Discussion Paper Series ; No. 34

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations ; Empirical Studies of Trade ; International Relations and International Political Economy: Other
• Subject: China ; global production networks ; Sino-US trade dispute ; punitive tariffs ; MNEs

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Athukorala, Prema-chandra
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Freiburg, Department of International Economic Policy (iep)
• (where): Freiburg i. Br.
• (when): 2017

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/175870
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET