International Competitiveness In Latin America And East Asia

First published in 1993. Latin America is undergoing a process of profound economic and social change. The industrial import substitution that continued for several decades was quantitatively successful in terms of industrialization but - like inward-oriented industrialization in the socialist countries - failed to raise the economies of the region to international productivity levels. The attempt at catch-up industrialization outside the reference frame of the world market led to economic stagnation, social crises, serious environmental degradation and the obstruction of social development. The following papers included in this book, show that the development of competitive advantages is initially determined by the new macro policy and by modernization at enterprise level.

This study makes a solid case for the now prevalent contention that the development model of East Asian NICs is less costly (i.e. over inflation levels and more equitable income distribution), more adaptive to fluctuating would market conditions (eg. successful adjustment to the two oil crises) and more sustainable (i.e. high growth rates, even in the turbulent 1970s) than that of the Latin American NICs. In considering these issues, this book examines the major Latin American countries' economic problems and development experiences in light of the more successful stabilization and development experiences of the East Asian countries, Taiwan and South Korea in particular.

Manufacturing in Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) faces severe competitive stresses as it integrates into the global economy. It is not, on the whole, coping well. Though it was the first region in the developing world - in the post-war era - to liberalize on international trade and investment flows and had the most advanced industrial base, it failed to tap fully the opportunities offered. As a result, it has steadily fallen behind the most competitive economies in the developing world, the Tigers of East Asia. What is behind LAC's under-performance? The dominant view in the region puts emphasis on the legacy of import substitution, macroeconomic mismanagement and on a costly business environment. Although important, these factors do not seem to tell the whole story. The heavy emphasis on government failures has led policymakers to overlook key market failures that stand on the way to sustained productivity growth, increasing technological capability and greater competitiveness. This paper can be seen as a first step to redress the balance of the policy debate and focus on benchmarking competitive performance and capabilities in the 1990s in LAC and East Asia, letting the comparisons speak for themselves. While it is known in the region that its recent industrial record has been poor, the dimensions are not well analyzed or understood. This benchmarking exercise, using a simple framework to measure performance and capabilities, should prove instructive to policy analysis.

Latin America is at a uniquely important juncture in its history and the history of development more generally. Neoliberal market-orientated policies are being called into question, growth has been volatile and equity has stayed the same or worsened. In Latin America there is no clear direction for change. This book presents an alternative development path for Latin America based on an East Asian model. East Asia remains the only developing region so far with high stable and equitable economic development. Based on in depth analysis and the presentation of new and unique material, this study provides a new perspective on the lessons of China's rapid development and examines relations between states and companies that have led to greater success by East Asian companies entering new international markets. More importantly, it highlights how Latin American politics can and must be transformed.

Many efforts have been spend on investigating increasing interdependence within the Pacific Rim. However, the dynamic development of relations between Latin America und East Asia in the last two decades have not attracted much academic attention. In order to fill this gap the authors of this volume present one of the first encompassing analysis of political and economic relations between Latin America and East Asia.

Post-war Latin American economies have failed to close the development gap with advanced industrial countries despite more than six decades of attempted reform and undoubted economic and social progress. Two decades into the twenty-first century, there is little sign of this situation changing for the better. Compared with other emerging regions, notably East Asia, Latin America has underperformed in income, productivity, and innovation terms. All of this suggests that the time is right for a thorough assessment of why Latin America's recent pursuit of economic development has proven so elusive. Innovation, Competitiveness, and Development in Latin America provides a balanced and topical analysis of the successes and failures of development policy in post-war Latin America. Across nineteen chapters, experts in the economics and policy of Latin American development and policy identify the challenges at hand. They explore why the region is caught in a middle-income trap, where structural impediments frustrate the achievement of accelerated and sustainable growth. At the same time, potential actions are suggested for creating lasting progress. The chapters address vital issues in the region including established or emerging sources of competitive advantage and technological capability; future areas for comparative advantage; policy effectiveness to address under-investment in human capital; poor infrastructure; and uncompetitive market structures. The chapters in the volume draw on evidence from across the region, including countries such as Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Costa Rica. The structural characteristics of economies within the region are identified and the potential implications considered of the re-primarization process witnessed in recent years. The volume concludes with a consideration of policy lessons from these countries and illuminates potential pathways for effective policy action in the region as a whole. With fresh insights grounded in the reality of modern-day Latin America, Innovation, Competitiveness, and Development in Latin America offers scholars and professionals a crucial window into Latin America's long-term developmental trajectory.