SIA, Japanese Electronics Giants, and Global Competition in Semiconductors

Author / Creator

(1960), Michael P. Ryan, author

Available as

Online

Summary

The semiconductor dispute was perhaps the most challenging aspect of the U.S.-Japan trade conflict during the 1980s because it was a harbinger of trade disputes to come in the 1990s. The case makes...

The semiconductor dispute was perhaps the most challenging aspect of the U.S.-Japan trade conflict during the 1980s because it was a harbinger of trade disputes to come in the 1990s. The case makes clear that the dispute was rooted in the vastly different industrial organizations and corporate strategies of Japanese and American producers. The former were large, integrated electronics producers, while the latter included integrated electronics producers and many specialized, upstart chip makers. The case illustrates the central differences between the Japanese and U.S. political economy and their implications for international trade and competition. It could be paired with “The U.S.-Japanese Semiconductor Problem” (Case Study 139).

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