Global production sharing, trade patterns and industrialization in Southeast Asia

Global production sharing (GPS) – the dispersion of separate stages (tasks) of an integrated production process across national boundaries – has been a major factor in the economic dynamism of the Southeast Asian economies. Led by Singapore and Malaysia, the Southeast Asian economies have been major and successful participants in global production networks. “Network products” (parts and components, and final assembly traded within production networks) constitute almost two-thirds of the merchandise exports of Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, almost half those of Thailand, and a smaller but still significant share for Indonesia. From a small and recent base, they are growing quickly in Vietnam, while beginning in 2012 Cambodia has begun to participate in global production networks on a modest scale.