Foreign competition

Secondary sources of data are useful when they exist. Databases (qv) of pubUshed information have been assembled, and market researchers can tap them provided their company buys the service. These databases can save the market analyst many hours of work. The services also provide much of the general sociopolitical—economic background needed, such as petroleum (qv) prices, government regulations, foreign competition, etc. 

Innovation has historically been a strength of U.S. industry. In recent years, the United States appeared to be losing its position to foreign competition, particularly the Japanese. Table I (J) illustrates, for 1991, the number of patents obtained by several firms. Japanese companies hold the top few positions, but several U.S. companies have shown continued progress. 

However, pulp and paper are commodities and therefore prices are vulnerable to global competition. Countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Indonesia have built modern, advanced pulp facilities. These countries have faster-growing trees and lower labor costs. Latin American and European countries are also adding papermaking capacity. Because of this increased foreign competition, imports of paper to the U.S. market are expected to increase 3% annually through 2004.10 In order... 

There are other aspects to the maintenance of a product in the market. The ability to protect and recoup investment is vital if new products and the development of existing products are to be sustained. Intellectual property rights provide various methods of protecting products and can be an important and a valuable asset in providing legitimate barriers against domestic and foreign competition. 

In the light of the scale of profits made by the electricity-generating sector in countries with competitive markets (empirical evidence set out in Sijm et al., this issue), this proposition is now more widely accepted. The electricity sector is barely exposed to foreign competition and, unlike other sectors, it does not face electricity price increases in inputs. In countries with competitive markets, greater cutbacks for the power sector have no direct implications for other sectors, since the price is predominantly set by the opportunity cost of carbon, not by the profit/loss balance of power generators. 

However, many participating sectors, such as the electricity sector, are not directly exposed to foreign competition, so competitiveness concerns are not directly relevant. Exceptions may apply to closure and investment decisions, which are affected by the allocation of free allowances - as illustrated at the example of the power sector in Neuhoff et al. (this issue). Furthermore, although downstream industries are affected by increased electricity prices, it should be remembered that the electricity price increases they face should not differ much under grandfathering or auctioning. 

Validation of pharmaceutical and healthcare computer systems has been specially developed by the FDA to protect their domestic markets from foreign competition. Recent international free-trade agreements shonld prevent such restrictive trade and have the power, if invoked, to take offending conntries to binding arbitration. 

But it s a risk, and you are exactly right. We do see the growth of foreign competition in the demand for their services, for example, the ability of Procter Gamble to establish relationships with universities and the People s Republic of China without as much concern over intellectual property rights. U.S. universities are aware of this and are so scared ofit that they cannot even talk about it. So it s an issue that is not very clearly recognized or articulated. 

In November 1959 Analytical Chemistry ran an article by Van Zandt Williams, executive vice-president of Perkin-Elmer, a major analytical instrumentation company. Williams was concerned about the lack of cooperation between analytical chemists and instrument manufacturers. He emphasized the urgent need in industry for more efficient methods of analysis "The lack of chemical analytical instrumentation—particularly automatic, direct concentration readout, chemical anal5nical instrumentation—may well be a limitation on progress in the chemical industry today" (p. 25A). He devoted a section of his article to the fact that foreign competition was putting pressure on the chemical industries in the United States to be more efficient, by utilizing more automatic means of analysis (pp. 26A-27A). Yet progress was held back by a lack of cooperation between analytical chemist and instrument maker ... 

Another factor facing U.S. automakers was foreign competition, specifically that from Japan. In 1964, Japanese four-wheeled motor vehicle exports were just over 100,000 [3], However, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), in 1965 a 51.9% share of the export market in 1965 rose steadily to a 73% share in 1971. Passenger car exports in Japan s total automobile production output rose from 10.4% in 1965 to 40% in 1974 unit figures rose from 100,000 in 1965 to 1,827,000 in 1975 [4],... 

Technical service and applied research, which had their beginnings in the early twenties, have come to the forefront since the end of World War II. In the competitive sixties, expansion of new products and processes will be even greater than in the past. Thus, successful marketing will depend more and more on improving application research and technical service, both of which will be more needed. There are at least two reasons for this. Overcapacity will continue for several heavy inorganic chemicals and foreign competition will be an important factor. 

Overcapacity was mentioned as one of the basic reasons for strong competition in the sixties. Foreign competition is going to be tough also. In addi-... 

To meet this challenge, the U. S. chemical industry will have to stress several facets of technical service and applications research. Important among these will be ease of communication and prompt attention to customer needs. There will always be delays and the possibility of misunderstanding the problem. Our experience has been that relaying information from one part of an organization to another can result in loss of accuracy and in some cases the problem is completely misunderstood. Technical service, working with the production department and the traffic department, can work out delivery schedules which cannot be met by foreign competition. 

Landau, R., Foreign Chemical Technology in the U.S., International Business, prepared by editors of Chemical Engineering Progress, published by AICHE, N.Y.C., presented at the International Business Symposium, Foreign Competition in the U.S.A., AICHE, Atlantic City, N.J., Sept. 21, 1966. 

At all times, the focus of these efforts Is to be on reality rather than theory. For Instance, where certain policy Issues Impede the progress of specific Innovation projects or programs, these will be so referenced. They will Include those situations where American Interests may be threatened by foreign competition, as well as those where American Ingenuity and entrepreneurship have the opportunity to establish and maintain worldwide pre-eid.nence. In the latter case, attention will be devoted to policies that aid In the establishment of new business enterprises, historically a disproportionately large wellspring of job-creating Innovations. 

This company has lost lots of income over the past years as a result of the behavior of a few employees. These attitudes still exist in auto dealers today and they are losing lots of business because of this behavior and they really don t seem to care. One of the results is the loss of market share to foreign competition, which is growing every year. These are the kind of problems that the Big Three have created and now they have a consumer group that does not want to buy their vehicles. It is going to take mai r years for these organizations to be able to convince consumers that they should try their vehicles again. 

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