Concentration of international trade in high-technology products

Abstract

International trade in high-technology products has been increasing at a rate faster than overall trade and world output. This paper examines whether trade in high-technology products has been associated with increased concentration of trade among a few countries. The paper explores market shares of leading exporters of high-technology products and concentration of trade in these products, measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman index. The main finding is that trade concentration in high-technology products has declined during the 1980–1996 period.