IMPACT OF ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION ON PRINTING INDUSTRY
A key trend, if not the defining trend, in the 21st century economy is globalization-the growing integration of previously autonomous national economies. Almost no area of the world, industry, or business if any size is immune from the forces of globalization.
The printing industry is just beginning to undergo rapid changes from globalization forces. Over the past few years the share of print production moving between countries has increased much more rapidly than purely domestic production and consumption. Many printing firms have become global in the sense that they have production facilities in multiple countries. Printers’ customers, increasingly, are looking for at global sourcing for their printing. The purpose of this report is to define, measure, and take stock of current global trends impacting the printing industry and to examine where these trends may take it in the future. Also, we look at the strategic and competitive implications of the future directions for printing firms.
DEFINING AND MEASURE GLOBAL PRINT MARKETS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE U.S. PRINTING INDUSTRY
How large is the global print market? OIA/GATF estimates that total U.S. printing production(not including in-plant production) was $166.2 billion in 2005. U.S. Print production probably accounts for approximately 25%-30% of total global production. This means that total global print production was approximately $550-650 billion in 2005. North America, Western Europe, and Asia each account for about 30% of the total.
The above figures represent global print production. Print demand, on the other hand, is not necessarily generated in the same geographic region as print production.
Over the past few years, the share of global print production moving between countries has increased much more rapidly than purely domestic production and consumption. This trend is a result of shifts in global supply and demand for print with increases in production capacity in countries such china and competitive forces pushing printers’ customers to look at global sourcing for their printing.
What’s the impact of these trends on the U.S. printing industry?
To be continued...
