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A Portrait of U.S. Factoryless Goods Producers

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  • Fariha Kamal

Abstract

This paper evaluates the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data collection efforts to classify business entities that engage in an extreme form of production fragmentation called “factoryless” goods production. “Factoryless” goods-producing entities outsource physical transformation activities while retaining ownership of the intellectual property and control of sales to customers. Responses to a special inquiry on the incidence of purchases of contract manufacturing services in combination with data on production inputs and outputs, intellectual property, and international trade is used to identify and document characteristics of “factoryless” firms in the U.S. economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Fariha Kamal, 2018. "A Portrait of U.S. Factoryless Goods Producers," Working Papers 18-43, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:18-43
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2018/CES-WP-18-43.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Fariha Kamal & Jessica McCloskey & Wei Ouyang, 2022. "Multinational Firms in the U.S. Economy: Insights from Newly Integrated Microdata," Working Papers 22-39, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    2. Woodgate, Ryan, 2021. "Profit-led in effect or in mere appearance? Estimating the Irish demand regime given the influence of multinational enterprises," IPE Working Papers 154/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    3. Ryan Woodgate, 2022. "Profit-led in effect or in appearance alone? Estimating the Irish demand regime given the influence of multinational enterprises," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 319-350, July.
    4. Teresa C. Fort, 2019. "Comment on "A Portrait of US Factoryless Goods Producers"," NBER Chapters, in: Challenges of Globalization in the Measurement of National Accounts, pages 447-450, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Diane Coyle & David Nguyen, 2019. "No plant, no problem? Factoryless manufacturing and economic measurement," Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE) Discussion Papers ESCoE DP-2019-15, Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE).
    6. Kyle Handley & Fariha Kamal & Wei Ouyang, 2021. "A Long View of Employment Growth and Firm Dynamics in the United States: Importers vs. Exporters vs. Non-Traders," Working Papers 21-38, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    7. Fariha Kamal & Jessica McCloskey & Wei Ouyang, 2022. "Multinational Firms in the U.S. Economy: Insights from Newly Integrated Microdata," BEA Working Papers 0202, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    contract manufacturing services; “factoryless” production; imports; multinationals; intellectual property;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F6 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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