A Competitive Assessment = of the U.S. Paper Machinery Industry Prepared by Capital Goods and International Construction Sector Group U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration March 1989 Depos-USA 5-17-89 ABSTRACT The paper machinery industry is a long-established sector facing increasing competition in growing domestic and world markets. This industry embraces the production of machinery for the manufacture of pulp and paper from the woodyard through the pulping process to the manufacture and finishing of paper. The industry is modest in size, encompassing some 230 establishments with approximately 15,400 employees which produced about $1.44 billion in product shipments during 1987. U.S. paper machinery exports totaled $308 million in 1987, or about 23 percent of estimated production. Imports in 1987 totaled $562 million, a figure which includes some closely related equipment. This study evaluates and ranks the major competitive factors The second half of the report describes the major foreign producers, FOREWORD This competitive assessment of the U.S. paper machinery industry is the 50th industry assessment published by the Trade Development unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. The Competitive Assessment Program is one of the Department's primary means of evaluating and communicating the competitive status of individual U.S. industries. The purpose of the Competitive Assessment Program is to analyze the international competitiveness of specific U.S. industries, to inform government policy officials and private sector representatives of the implications of such analyses, and to identify ways in which the federal government can maintain or enhance competitiveness and increase American exports. The Commerce Department has published competitive assessments for a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from the traditional to high-technology. These industries have been studied because either they are important to the U.S. economy, they are undergoing persistent competitiveness problems, they are newly emergent, or they exhibit some combination of these factors. This assessment identifies the major economic and noneconomic issues facing the U.S. paper machinery industry. We hope this assessment will inspire debate on the issues and contribute to improved U.S. competitiveness. |