SPECIAL
SECTION CHINA
TRADE COMPETITION TRADE FROM CHINA
Chinese exports are cutting into domestic and
international market share for many Latin American
manufactured goods. By Osvaldo Rosales
JONATAN FICLES/BLOOMBERG/GE T T Y
he emergence of China as a major player
in the global trade of goods and services
has undoubtedly delivered benefits for
Latin America—primarily by enhancing
the value of its exports of natural resources and related
products. But China’s growth as a commercial power
has also created a major competitor in the markets of
Latin America’s trading partners, especially in the United
States, the European Union and the domestic markets of
Latin American countries. In many of those countries,
national manufacturing industries are already starting
to suffer because of Chinese imports.
While there are several studies that confirm the positive impact exerted by Chinese demand on export prices
and the regional export basket, there is little recent empirical evidence, especially at the industry and product
level, to show the effect of competition in third markets
T
97 Americas Quarterly WINTER 2012
