Title: The emerging production networks in Mekong region

Authors: Hiroyuki Taguchi; Daisuke Matsushima; Kazunobu Hayakawa

Addresses: Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Government of Thailand, 962 Krung Kasem Road Pomprab District, Bangkok 10100, Thailand ' Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Government of Thailand, 962 Krung Kasem Road Pomprab District, Bangkok 10100, Thailand ' Bangkok Research Center, Japan External Trade Organization, 16th FL., Nantawan Bldg, 161 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Abstract: This paper set out to examine the recent evolution of the production networks through the fragmentation in the Mekong region within ASEAN by using trade data and micro-data of Japanese multinational enterprises. Our main findings are as follows. First, the fragmentation momentum in the Mekong region within ASEAN could be identified from the rise in intra-Mekong trade of machinery parts and components, especially in the growth of their two-way trade between Thailand and Vietnam. Second, the 'agglomeration of fragments' could be observed from the high correlation and some causality of the manufacturing sales trends between industrial estates in Thailand and Vietnam.

Keywords: production networks; agglomeration; fragmentation; Mekong region; Thailand; Japan; multinational enterprises; MNEs; ASEAN; Vietnam; machinery parts; manufacturing industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTGM.2014.058713

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, 2014 Vol.7 No.1, pp.18 - 35

Received: 17 Nov 2012
Accepted: 15 Dec 2012
Published online: 29 Oct 2014 *

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