The global value chain in the electronics industry

Global value chains are one of the most paradigmatic elements of the transformation of international trade and investment. The electronics industry is a characteristic example of a globally integrated activity that has shaped an ecosystem of increasing complexity. Using a methodology based on input-output tables, we infer the essence of the changes experienced in the international organization of production, taking into account the geographical and factorial distribution of the value generated by each member in every stage of the production and distribution processes. On the one hand, it is confirmed that the degree of outsourcing has increased. On the other, that the East Asian pole organized around China has become the main source of value for the industry, with an increasing interaction on a global scale. Finally, it reveals a process of intense factorial substitution in favour of capital and high-skilled labour.