What Happens When The Market Shifts To China ? The Gabon Timber And Thai Cassava Value Chains

What Are The Implications For Global Value Chains When The Market Shifts From The North To The South ?

“…Evidence from two southern value chains -cassava in Thailand and timber in Gabon -provides corroboration for this broad argument (Kaplinsky, Terheggen and Tijaja, 2010). In both cases, the market has shifted from the EU to China.…”

African East-Asian Affairs, Issue 04 | December 2014

“…The growth benefits to trade with China for African countries for example are lower than for trade between African and advanced economies (Baliamoune-Lutz, 2011). More generically, Kaplinsky et al (2010) identify how the rise of a developing country the size of China as a main export market could limit the ability of today's low-income countries to steadily increase the value-added of their own exports.…”

Joining, Upgrading and Being Competitive in Global Value Chains: A Strategic Framework

“…Current criticisms include the depletion of natural resources by foreign companies, land grabbing, the unequal repartition of value along the production chains, captive market relationships, etc. Some studies suggest that an increase in exports can result in a socio-economic downgrading of a country if the lead firm of the GVC engages in predatory behavior (see Kaplinsky, Terheggen and Tijaja, 2010 for the examples of timber in Gabon and cassava in Thailand). Regulators are now faced with transboundary legal issues and private (often voluntary) standards that regulate an important part of global trade without control.…”

“…• Level of standards and corporate social responsibility (CSR) Although respect for standards might vary depending on the maturity of the GVC's lead firm and the final market (see Kaplinsky, Terheggen and Tijaja, 2010), it is a key element of the functioning of GVCs: "Today, lead firms rely increasingly on global standards to reduce the complexities of these transactions as they place new demands on the value chain. These standards establish the rules for information exchange, shape firm behavior and ensure quality in GVCs.…”