Seoul Economic Daily (June 1)
“Chinese imported cars overtook Japanese vehicles in Korea’s import market for the first time in April…. The result is striking, considering that all Chinese imports came from a single brand, BYD.” The “Red Tech threat” extends beyond EVs and looks poised “to engulf the AI and advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Before it is too late, the public and private sectors must mobilize all their capabilities to drive structural reform of mainstay industries such as steel and petrochemicals, where competitiveness is weakening, and to nurture new industries. If we fail to confront the reality of the crisis and respond complacently, we will surrender not only future growth engines but also industrial leadership itself.”
Tags: Advanced manufacturing, AI, BYD, China, Competitiveness, Confront, Crisis, EVs, Future, Growth engines, Industrial leadership, Japan, Korea, Mainstay industries, Mobilize, Petrochemicals, Red Tech threat, Steel, Structural reform, Surrender
Bloomberg (December 20)
“Japan has gained a tremendous amount of manufacturing competitiveness. A 2016 study by consulting firm Deloitte ranked Japan the fourth-most competitive country for manufacturing, a huge leap from the No. 10 position it held three years earlier.”
Tags: Competitiveness, Deloitte, Japan, Manufacturing, Rank
Wall Street Journal (August 6)
“Taiwan’s leaders have warned for years that economic isolation will damage the nation’s competitiveness. Now their worst fears may be coming true, and the consequences of resisting freer trade and economic reform are becoming clear.”
Tags: Competitiveness, Consequences, Damage, Economic isolation, Fears, Free trade, Leaders, Reform, Taiwan
Financial Times (February 23)
French leaders “should listen when international business leaders say how their French operations must change to be competitive. Ministers should share with multinationals a common interest in achieving that outcome. Otherwise, the workers will not be alone in facing accusations of being unproductive.”
Wall Street Journal (January 28)
British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed the future of the EU, raising important points on Europe’s waning competitiveness, excessive regulation, free trade agreements and the primacy of the single market. European leaders largely were not listening. “Yet the picture of Europe that Mr. Cameron sketched on Wednesday is an EU worth belonging to, not just for Britain but for every other European state that does not want to sacrifice prosperity and democratic representation on the altar of centralization. Mr. Cameron’s critics should read his speech twice.”
Tags: Competitiveness, David Cameron, EU, Free trade, Regulation, UK
New York Times (October 26)
The U.S. ranks 48th globally in math and science instruction. Of 29 wealthy countries, the U.S. finishes 27th per capita in undergraduate engineering and science degrees. Foreign graduate students in these subjects are increasingly returning to their home countries. A third of U.S. manufacturers had difficulty “finding enough skilled workers” in 2009. Unless funding for science is increased, the U.S. will “continue to lose economic ground to foreign competitors.”
Tags: Competitiveness, Engineering, Math, Science, U.S.
