Editorial Board
A Better Way to Track Trade Than ‘Made in’ Labels
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What does it mean when the label on your mobile device says “Made in China”? Possibly a lot less than you thought.
Trade experts have known for years that the complete story of the global economy can’t be gleaned from data on the flow of finished goods and services among countries. Trade figures register the value and volume of stuff leaving one country and entering another, yet the numbers are misleading.