The Industrial Future of the Pacific Basin

The consequences of changing comparative advantage are transforming the economic landscapes of nations and regions around the globe. This book deals with the most significant economic factors in the rapidly changing Pacific Basin area. Part 1 considers the area’s changing patterns of industrial development and trade and examines the general implications of such changes for national industrial development policies. Part 2 consists of a set of case studies of national industrial policies in the context of factors affecting industrial structures; how applicable these policies are to other countries in the region is a central theme. Part 3 addresses the specific issues of foreign investment and domestic labor in relation to economic growth and industrial development in the Pacific Basin. Finally, in Part 4 institutional arrangements are suggested that would facilitate economic growth while, at the same time, mitigating the serious negative consequences of changing economic advantage. Such negative consequences are to some extent pervasive and can destabilize social and political development and endanger formal and informal alliances; nevertheless, the segment of humanity that has adequate food, clothing, and shelter is being permanently widened in the Pacific Basin.