No. 2008-03-B

OFFICE OF ECONOMICS WORKING PAPER

U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Robert Koopman* 

Zhi Wang* 

U.S. International Trade Commission 

Shang-jin Wei 

Columbia University and NBER 

March 2008 

*The authors are with the Office of Economics of the U.S. International Trade 

Commission. Office of Economics working papers are the result of the ongoing 

professional research of USITC Staff and are solely meant to represent the 

opinions and professional research of individual authors. These papers are not 

meant to represent in any way the views of the U.S. International Trade 

Commission or any of its individual Commissioners. Working papers are 

circulated to promote the active exchange of ideas between USITC Staff and 

recognized experts outside the USITC, and to promote professional 

development of Office staff by encouraging outside professional critique of 

staff research. 

Address correspondence to: 

Office of Economics 

U.S. International Trade Commission 

Washington, DC 20436 USA 

How Much of Chinese Exports Is Really Made in China? 

Assessing Foreign and Domestic Value-Added 

in Gross Exports
How much of Chinese exports is really made in China? 

Assessing foreign and domestic value-added in gross exports 

Robert Koopman and Zhi Wang 

United States International Trade Commission 

Shang-Jin Wei 

Columbia University, CEPR, and NBER 

Abstract 

As China’s juggernaut export machine employs many imported inputs, there are many policy 

questions for which it will be crucial to know the extent of domestic value added (DVA) in its 

exports. The best known approach is the concept of “vertical specialization” proposed by 

Hummels, Ishii and Yi (2001) (HIY for short). This approach is not appropriate for countries that 

engage in a lot of processing exports such as China, Mexico, and Vietnam. We develop a general 

formula for computing domestic and foreign contents when processing exports are pervasive. 

Because the new formula requires some input-output coefficients not typically available from a 

conventional input-output table, we propose a mathematical programming procedure to estimate 

these coefficients by combining information from detailed trade statistics with input-output tables. 

By our estimation, the share of foreign content in China’s exports is at about 50%, almost twice 

as high as the estimate from the HIY formula. There are also interesting variations across sectors 

and firm ownership. Those sectors that are likely labeled as relatively sophisticated such as 

electronic devices have particularly high foreign content (about 80%). Foreign-invested firms also 

tend to have higher foreign content in their exports than domestic firms. 

Key words: domestic content, foreign content, processing exports 

JEL Classification Numbers: F1, C67, C82 

Corresponding author: Zhi Wang, Research Division, Office of Economics, United States 

International Trade Commission, Room 603F, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. E-mail: 

zhi.wang@usitc.gov. 

The authors are grateful to Leonard Cheng, Judith Dean, Pieter Bottelier, Kun-fu Zhu and 

seminar participants at the International Trade Commission for helpful comments, and John 

Klopfer for editorial assistance. The views in the paper are those of the authors and are not the 

official views of the USITC, or of any other organization that the authors are or have been 

affiliated with. 
1

1. Introduction 

The People’s Republic of China is the archetype of a national economy that is 

well integrated into a global production chain. It imports raw material, equipment, and 

other intermediate inputs, and then exports a big fraction of its output (on the order of 

37% of GDP in 2006) to the world market. China’s export/GDP ratio is extraordinarily 

high for a large economy, when compared with 8% for the United States and 13% for 

India in the same year. With a reputation as a “world factory,” China is a top supplier of 

manufacturing outsourcing for many global companies. 

Imported inputs used in the production for exports reduce the share of value 

added generated by domestic producers in a nation’s exports. Consider the example of 

iPod, which China assembles for Apple and exports to the United States and other 

countries. In trade statistics, the Chinese export value for a unit of a 30GB video model in 

2006 was about $150. However, the best estimate of the value added attributable to 

producers in China was only $4, with the remaining value added coming from the United 

States, Japan, and other countries (Linden, Kraemer, and Dedrick, 2007; and Varian, 

2007). 

For many policy issues, it is important to assess the extent of domestic content in 

exports. For example, what is the effect of a currency appreciation on a country’s exports? 

The answer depends crucially on the share of domestic content in the country’s exports. 

Other things equal, a given exchange rate appreciation would have a smaller effect on 

trade volume, the lower the share of domestic content in the exports. As another example, 

what is the effect of trading with China on US income inequality? The answer depends in 

part on whether China simply exports products that are intensive in low-skilled labor or 

whether China’s exports are more sophisticated. Rodrik (2006) notes that the per capita 

income typically associated with the kind of goods bundle that China exports is much 

higher than China’s actual income. He interprets this as evidence that the skill content of 

China’s exports is likely to be much higher than its endowment may imply. Schott (2008) 

documents an apparent fast increase in the similarity between the Chinese export 

structure and that of high-income countries, and interprets it as evidence of a rise in the 
2

level of sophistication embedded in Chinese exports. However, if the domestic content in 

China’s exports is low, especially in sectors that would have been considered 

sophisticated or high-skilled in the United States, then imports from China may still 

generate a large downward pressure on the wage of the low-skilled Americans after all 

(as pointed out by Krugman, 2008). 

How would one assess foreign versus domestic content in a country’s exports? 

Hummels, Ishii, and Yi (2001) (HIY for short in subsequent discussion) propose a 

concept of vertical specialization (VS) in a country’s trade, defined as "the imported 

input content of exports, or equivalently, foreign value added embodied in exports," and 

provide a formula to compute VS share based exclusively on a country’s input-output 

table. For a sample of 14 countries (not including China), they calculate that the average 

share of foreign value added in exports was about 21% in 1990. Yi (2003) shows that a 

dramatic increase in vertical specialization after the Second World War is likely to be 

responsible for a faster growth of world trade relative to world GDP over the last five 

decades. Other recent applications of the vertical specialization concept include Goh and 

Olivier (2004), Chinn (2005), U.S. National Research Council (2006), and Dean, Fung, 

and Wang (2007). 

 A key assumption needed for the HIY formula to work is that the intensity in the 

use of imported inputs is the same between production for exports and production for 

domestic sales. This assumption is violated in the Chinese case due to pervasive 

processing exports. Processing exports are characterized by imports for exports with 

favorable tariff treatment: firms import parts and other intermediate materials from 

abroad, with tariff exemptions on the imported inputs and other tax preferences from 

local or central governments, and, after processing or assembling, export the finished 

products to the international market. The policy preferences for processing exports 

usually lead to a significant difference in the intensity of imported intermediate inputs in 

the production for processing exports and in other productions (for domestic final sales 

and normal exports). Since processing exports have accounted for more than 50% of 

Chinese exports every year at least since 1996 (see Column 1 of Table 1 for detail), the 

HIY formula is likely to lead to a significant under-estimation of the share of foreign 
3

value added in its exports. In fact, most economies offer tariff reductions or exemptions 

on imported intermediate inputs used in production for exports. Ignoring processing 

exports is likely to lead to estimation errors, especially for economies that engage in a 

massive amount of tariff/tax-favored processing trade, such as Mexico and Vietnam. 

Table 1: Processing Manufacturing Exports (excluding HS Chapters 1-27), 1996-

2006 

Year Share of 

processing 

exports in 

total exports 

(100*PE/TE) 

Share of 

Processing 

& 

assembling 

Share of 

Processing 

with 

imported 

materials 

Share of 

processing 

imports in 

total 

imports 

Ratio of processing 

imports to processing 

exports(100*PM/PE) 

Processing trade 

surplus as share of 

processing exports 

(100*[PEPM]/PE) 

1996 62.1 18.0 44.1 47.6 71.1 28.9 

1997 60.2 17.9 42.3 53.1 67.0 33.0 

1998 62.0 18.3 43.7 52.0 63.3 36.7 

1999 61.2 19.9 41.3 47.9 64.7 35.3 

2000 59.6 17.9 41.7 46.6 65.9 34.1 

2001 59.7 17.2 42.5 43.0 62.7 37.3 

2002 58.8 15.6 43.2 45.6 67.4 32.6 

2003 58.5 13.2 45.4 44.0 66.7 33.3 

2004 58.0 12.0 46.0 45.3 66.6 33.4 

2005 57.0 11.3 45.7 48.3 64.6 35.4 

2006 54.5 9.9 44.6 47.9 61.7 38.3 

Source: Authors computed from China Customs Trade statistics, General Customs 

Administration of China. 

In this paper, we aim to make three contributions. First, we develop a formula for 

computing shares of foreign and domestic value added in a country’s exports when 

processing exports are pervasive. The HIY formula is a special case of this general 

formula. Second, because some of the input-output coefficients called for by the new 

formula are not generally available from conventional input-output tables, we propose a 

mathematical programming method to estimate these coefficients by combining 

information from trade statistics (which separate processing and normal trade) with 

standard input-output (I/O) tables. Third, we apply our methodology to the Chinese data 

in 1997, 2002, and 20061

. We estimate that the share of foreign value added in Chinese 

manufactured exports is at about 50%, almost twice as high as that implied by the HIY 

formula. There are also interesting variations across sectors and firm ownership. Those 

sectors that are likely labeled as relatively sophisticated such as computers, 

telecommunication equipments, and electronic devices have particularly high foreign 

 

1

 Note that the 2002 Input-Output Table is the latest such table available; the next table— the 2007 

benchmark IO table— is scheduled to be released in 2010. Our 2006 estimates make use of the 2006 trade 

statistics but of the 2002 I/O table. 
4

content (about 80%). Foreign-invested firms also tend to have higher foreign content in 

their exports than do Chinese domestic firms. 

Besides the papers on vertical specialization in the international trade literature, 

this paper is also related to the I/O literature. In particular, Chen et al. (2004) and Lau et 

al (2007) are the first to develop a “non-competitive” type I/O model for China (i.e., one 

in which imported and domestically produced inputs are accounted for separately) and to 

incorporate processing exports explicitly. However, these papers do not describe a 

systematic way to infer separate input-output coefficients for production of processing 

exports versus those for other final demands. It is therefore difficult for others to replicate 

their estimates or apply their methodology to other countries. In addition, they use an 

aggregated version of China’s 1995 and 2002 input-output tables, respectively, to 

perform their analysis, with 20 some goods producing industries. We provide a more upto-date and more disaggregated assessment of foreign and domestic values added in 

Chinese exports with 83 goods producing industries. Finally, they impose an assumption 

in estimating the import use matrix from the competitive type I/O table published by 

China’s National Statistical Bureau: within each industry, the mix of the imported and 

domestic inputs is the same in capital formation, intermediate inputs, and final 

consumption. We relax this assumption by refining a method proposed in Dean, Fung, 

and Wang (2007) that combines China’s processing imports statistics with United 

Nations Broad Economic Categories (UNBEC) classification. 

The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents a conceptual 

framework for estimating shares of domestic and foreign value added in a country’s 

exports when processing exports are pervasive. It also describes a mathematic 

programming procedure to systematically infer a set of I/O coefficients called for by the 

new formula but not typically available from a conventional I/O table. Section 3 presents 

the estimation results for Chinese exports. Finally, Section 4 offers concluding remarks. 
5

2. Conceptual Framework and Estimation Method 

2.1 When special features of processing exports are not taken into account

We first discuss how domestic and foreign contents in a country’s exports can be 

computed when it does not engage in any processing trade. The discussion follows the 

input-output literature, and is the approach adopted (implicitly) by Hummels, Ishii, and 

Yi (2001) and Yi (2003). Along the way, we will point out a clear connection between 

the domestic content concept and the concept of vertical specialization2. 

When imported and domestically produced intermediate inputs are accounted 

separately, an input-output model can be specified as follows3

: 

A X Y X D D + = (1) 

A X Y M M M + = (2) 

A A X Av X X D M + + = ∧( (3) )'

uA uA Av u

D M + + = (4) 

Where AD = [a

D

ij] is an n nx matrix of direct input coefficients of domestic products; AM

 = 

[a

M

ij] is an n nx matrix of direct inputs of imported goods; YD is an nx1 vector of final 

demands for domestically produced products, including usage in gross capital formation, 

private and public final consumption, and gross exports; YM is an nx1 vector of final 

demands for imported products, including usages in gross capital formation, private and 

public final consumption; X is a nx1 vector of gross output; M is a nx1 vector of imports; 

Av = [av

j] is a 1xn vector of each sector j’s ratio of value added to gross output; ˆ

AV is an 

n nx diagonal matrix with av

j as its diagonal elements; finally, u is a 1xn unity vector. 

Subscripts i and j indicate sectors, and superscripts D and M represent domestically 

produced and imported products, respectively. 

 

2

 We use the terms “domestic value added” and “domestic content” interchangeably. Similarly, 

we use the terms “foreign value added,” “foreign content,” and “vertical specialization,” to mean 

the same thing. 

3

 Such a model is called a “non-competitive” model in the I/O literature. HIY (2001) do not 

specify this system explicitly but go straight to the implied Leontief inverse while Chen et al. 

(2004) specify only the first two equations. A fully specified model facilitates a better 

understanding of the connection between vertical specialization and domestic content, and a 

comparison with the model in the next sub-section that features processing exports. 
6

Equations (1) and (2) define two horizontal balance conditions for domestically 

produced and imported products respectively. A typical row k in Equation (1) specifies 

that total domestic production of product k should be equal to the sum of the sales of 

product k to all users in the economy (to be used as intermediate inputs or for final sales 

to these users), the final sales include domestic consumption and capital formation, plus 

exports of product k. A typical row h in Equation (2) specifies that the total imports of 

product h should be equal to the sum of the sales of product h to all users in the economy, 

including intermediate inputs for all sectors, plus final domestic consumption and capital 

formation. Equation (3) is a vertical balance conditions, and Equation (4) describes an 

adding-up constraint for the input-output coefficients. Collectively, they imply that the 

total output (X) in any sector k has to be equal to the sum of direct value added in sector k, 

and the cost of intermediate inputs from all domestically produced and imported products. 

From equation (1) we have 

D D X I A Y1 ( )− = − (5) 

1 ( )− − D I A is the well-known Leontief Inverse, a matrix of coefficients for the 

total domestic intermediate product requirement. Define a vector of share of domestic 

content, or domestic value added, in a unit of domestically produced products, DVS = 

{dvsj}, a 1xn vector, as the additional domestic value added generated by one additional 

unit of final demand of domestic products (ΔYD = u’).

1 / ( )− ∧ ∧

= Δ Δ = − D

v

D DVS Av X Y A I A (6) 

Equation (6) indicates that the domestic content for an I/O industry is the corresponding 

column sum of the coefficient matrix for total domestic intermediate goods requirement, 

weighted by the direct value-added coefficient of each industry. 

Under the condition that all exports and domestic sale have the same input-output 

coefficients, the share of domestic content in final demand and the share of domestic 

content in total exports should be the same. So Equation (6) is also the formula for the 

share of domestic content in total exports for each industry. As Chen et al (2004) points 

out, there is a good intuition behind the DVS formula. When one extra unit of product for 

final demand is produced at home, both direct and indirect values added are generated. 

The indirect value added comes from the domestic value added embedded in all the 
7

domestically produced intermediate inputs. Each of them is produced with direct and 

indirect value added involved. Therefore, the total domestic value added induced by one 

extra unit of domestic product is equal to the sum of direct domestic value added and 

multiple rounds of indirect domestic value added. Expressing this process 

mathematically, we have: 

1 ( )

....

− = −

= + + + +

D

v

D D D

v

D D

v

D

v v

A I A

DVS A A A A A A A A A A

 (7) 

The last step invokes the formula for the convergence of matrix power series of D A . 

 Define a vector of share of foreign content (or foreign value added) in final 

demand for domestically produced products by FVS = u – DVS. By making use of 

Equation (4), it can be verified that 

FVS = 1 ( )

− − − D

u Av I A 1 ( )

− = − M D uA I A (8) 

 For each industry, this is the column sum of the coefficient matrix for total 

intermediate import requirement. This turns out to be the exact same formula used to 

compute vertical specialization by HIY (2001). In other words, the concepts of vertical 

specialization and of foreign content are identical. 

2.2 Domestic Content in Exports When Processing Trade is Prevalent

We now turn to the case in which tariff-favored processing exports are prevalent, 

which have a different intensity in the use of imported inputs than do domestic final sales 

(and normal exports). Conceptually, we wish to keep separate track of the I/O 

coefficients of the processing exports from those of domestic final sales and normal 

exports. For now, we ignore the fact that these I/O coefficients may not be directly 

available, and will discuss a formal approach to estimate them in the next subsection. 

The expanded I/O table with a separate account for processing exports is 

represented by Figure 1. 
8

Figure 1: Input-output table with separate production account for processing trade 

     Intermediate use 

 Production for 

domestic use 

& normal 

exports 

Production 

of 

processing 

exports 

Final use 

(C+I+G+E) 

Gross 

Output or 

Imports 

 

DIM 1,2,..., N 1,2,..., N 1 1 

Production 

for domestic 

use & 

normal 

exports (D) 

1 

. 

. 

. 

N 

DD Z DP Z D Y P X − E

Domestic 

Intermediate 

Inputs Processing 

Exports (P) 

1 

. 

. 

. 

N 

0 0 P E P E

Intermediate Inputs from 

Imports 

1 

. 

. 

. 

N 

MD Z MP Z M Y M

Value-added 

 

1 

D V P V

Gross output 1 

P X − E P E

We use superscript P and D, respectively, to represent processing exports, and 

domestic sales & normal exports. Define dd

ij z = Domestically produced intermediate good 

i used by sector j for domestic sales and normal exports; dp

ij z = Domestically produced 

intermediate good i used by sector j for processing exports; md

ij z = Imported intermediate 

good i used by sector j for domestic sales and normal exports; mp

ij z = Imported 

intermediate good i used by sector j for processing exports; d

j v = Value added by 

domestic and normal export production in industry j ; p

j v = Value added by processing 

export production in industry j. Then direct I/O coefficients for this expanded I/O model 

can be written as: 
9

[ ] [ ] p

j j

dd

dd ij

ij

DD

x e

z

A a − = = , [ ] [ ] p

j j

md

md ij

ij

MD

x e

z

A a − = = , [ ] [ ] p

j j

d

vd j

j

D

v x e

v

A a − = =

[ ] [ ], [ ] [ ], [ ] [ ] p

j

p

vp j

j

P

p v

j

mp

mp ij

ij

MP

p

j

dp

dp ij

ij

DP

e

v

A a

e

z

A a

e

z

A = a = = = = = 

Where i represent a row and j represents a column. This expanded I/O model can be 

formally described by the following system of equations: 

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡ =

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡ − ⎥

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ − −

P

D

P

DD DP P

E

Y

E

X E

I

I A A

0 (9) 

A X E A E Y M MD P MP P M ( (10) − ) + + =

D P P

v

DD MD P A + A X − E + A X − E = X − E

∧

( )'( ) ( ) (11) 

M P P

v

DP MP P A + A E + A E = E

∧

( )' ) (12) 

uA uA A u k D P k

v

Dk Mk + + = = , (13)

This is a generalization of the model discussed in the previous subsection. 

Equations (9)-(10) are a generalization of Equations (1)-(2), and Equations (11)-(12) are 

a generalization of Equation of (3), with a separate account for processing exports. In a 

slight abuse of notation, we now re-define YD to be final domestic sales plus normal 

exports while excluding processing exports. Equation (13) is the new adding up 

constraint for the I/O coefficients. 

The analytical solution of the system is 

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡

⎥

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ − − =

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡ − −

P

DD DP D

P

P

E

Y

I

I A A

E

X E

1

0 (14) 

The generalized Leontief inverse for this expanded model can be computed as 

follows: 

⎥

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ − − ⎥ =

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ ⎥ =

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ − − =

− − −

I

I A I A A

B B

B B

I

I A A

B

DD DD DP

PD PP

DD DP DD DP

0

( ) ( )

0

1 1 1

 (15) 

 Substituting equation (15) into equation (14), we have: 

P DD D DD DP p X E I A Y A A E 1 1 ( ) (1 ) − − − = − + − (16)
10

Substituting equation (16) into equation (10), the total demand for imported 

intermediate inputs is: 

M MD DD D MD DD DP P MP p M −Y = A I − A Y + A − A A E + A E −1 −1 ( ) (1 ) (17)

It has three components: the first term is total imported content in final domestic sale and 

normal exports, and the second and the third terms are indirect and direct imported 

content in processing exports, respectively. 

We can compute vertical specialization (VS) or foreign content share in 

processing and normal exports in each industry separately: 

T

MD DD DP MP

MD DD T

P

D

uA A A uA

uA I A

VSS

VSS

− +

− = −

−

1

1

(1 )

( ) (18) 

The total foreign content share in a particular industry is the sum of the two weighted by 

the share of processing and non-processing exports s

p

 and u-sp: 

P

D

P P

VSS

VSS VSS = (u − s ,s ) (19) 

The foreign content (or foreign value-added) share in a country’s total exports is: 

te

E

u A A A A

te

E E TVSS uA I A

P

MD DD DP MP

P

MD DD ( ) ( (1 ) ) 1 1 + − + − = − − − (20) 

Where te is a scalar, the country’s total exports. Equation (19) is a generalization of 

Equation (8), the formula to compute industry-level share of vertical specialization. 

Equation (20) is a generalization of the formula for country-level share of vertical 

specialization proposed by HIY (2001, page 80). In particular, either when DD A = 

DP A

and MD A =

MP A , or when EP

/te = 0, Equation (20) reduces to the HIY formula for VS. 

Similarly, the domestic content share for processing and normal exports at the 

industry level can be computed separately: 

T

P

v

D DD DP

v

D DD

v

DD DD DP

p

v

D

v v

T

P

D

A I A A A

A I A

I

I A I A A

A B A A

DVS

DVS

− +

− =

⎥

⎦

⎤ ⎢

⎣

⎡ − − = =

−

−

− − −

1

1

1 1

( )

( )

0

( ) ( ) ( )

 (21) 

The total domestic content share in a particular industry is a weighted sum of the 

two:
11

P

D

P P

DVS

DVS DVS = (u − s ,s ) (22) 

The domestic content share in a country’s total exports is: 

te

E A A A A

te

E E TDVS A I A

P

P

V

D DD DP

V

P

D DD

V ( ) ( (1 ) ) 1 1 + − + − = − − − (23) 

Either when DD A = 

DP A and D Av =P Av , or when EP

/te = 0, Equation (22) reduces 

to Equation (6). Note we can easily verify that for both processing and normal exports, 

the sum of domestic and foreign content shares is unity (see Appendix for details). 

 

2.3 Estimation Issues

Equations (21-23) allows us to compute the shares of domestic content in 

processing and normal exports for each industry as well as in a country’s total exports. 

However, statistical agencies typically only report a traditional I/O matrix, AD, and 

sometimes AM, but not ADP, ADD, AMP and AMD separately. Therefore, we have to develop 

a method to estimate ADP, ADD, AMP and AMD based on available information. Or, 

equivalently, we have to estimate [zij

dd], [zijdp], [zijmd], and [zijmd], respectively, instead of 

[aij

dd], [aijdp], [aijmd], and [aijmp]. In this sub-section, we propose to do this via a quadratic 

programming model by combining information from trade statistics and conventional I/O 

tables. 

The following data are observable from a standard I/O table and enter our 

programming model as constants: i x = Gross output of sector i; ij z = Goods i used as 

intermediate inputs in sector j; j v = Value-added in sector j; and mi = Total imports of 

sector i goods; and i y =Total final demand except for exports of goods i. We combine 

information from a standard I/O table and trade statistics to determine the values for p mi

= Imports of sector i good used as intermediate inputs to produce processing exports 

(with the share estimated from trade statistics); d

mi = Imports of sector i goods used as 

intermediate inputs for domestic production and normal exports (with the share also 

estimated from trade statistics); n

i e = Normal exports of sector i and pi e = Processing 

exports of sector i (with the share obtained from trade statistics). To be precise, we use 
12

information from an I/O table to determine sector-level total imports/exports, and 

information from trade statistics to determine the relative proportion of processing and 

normal exports within a sector. Using the data from I/O table to determine sector-level 

total imports/exports helps to ensure that the balance conditions in official I/O account 

are always satisfied and the I/O table with separate processing exports account estimated 

from our model always sum to the published official table. Other parameters of the model 

can be inferred from the variables already discussed: m

i y = Final demand of goods i from 

imports (residuals of mi - p mi - d mi ); d

i y = Final demand of goods i provided by 

domestic production (residual of i y - m

i y ). i and j are indices of sectors from 1 to K. 

 We wish to estimate within-industry transactions [zij

dd], [zijdp], [zijmd], and [zijmd], as 

well as sector-level value added [vj

d

], and [vj

p

]. We can make initial guesses about their 

values based on trade statistics and coefficients from a conventional I/O table. These 

guesses are referred to as “initial values” below. However, these guesses are not 

guaranteed to satisfy various economic and statistical restrictions on the data. Therefore, 

we cast the estimation problem as a constrained optimization. Using the notations 

previously defined, our programming model is specified by the following objective 

function subject to ten constraints: 

∑∑ ∑ ∑

∑∑ ∑∑ ∑∑

=

= =

−

= = =

− + − −

− + + −

K

j

p

j

p

j

p

j

d

j

d

j

d

j

K

j=1

mp

ij

mp

ij

mp

ij

K

i=

K

i=

K

i

K

j

md

ij

md

ij

md

ij

dp

ij

dp

ij

dp

ij

K

j

K

i=1

dd

ij

dd

ij

dd

ij

K

i

K

j

v

v v

v

v v

+

z

z z

+

z

z z

z

z z

z

z z S =

1

2 2 2

1 1

1 1

2 2

1

2

1 1

0

( 0 )

0

( 0 )

0

( 0 )

( 0 )

0

( 0 )

0

( 0 ) Min

 (24) 

Where z’s and v’s are variables to be estimated, those variables with a 0 in the suffix 

denote initial values. 

 z z y e = x e 

p

i i

n

i

d

i

dp

ij

K

j

dd

ij + −

=

∑( + ) +

1

 (25) 

 z z y =m i

m

i

mp

ij

K

j

md ∑ ij + + =

( )

1

 (26) 

 z z v = x e 

p

j j

d

j

md

ij

K

j

dd

ij −

=

∑( + ) +

1

 (27)
13

 z z v =e p

j

p

j

mp

ij

K

i

dp ∑ ij + + =

( )

1

 (28)

z m 

d

i

K

j

md ∑ ij

= =1

 (29)

z m 

p

i

K

j

mp ∑ ij

= =1

 (30) 

z z z m m p

i

d

i

K

j

ij

dp

ij

K

j

dd ( ij )= ( )

1 1

∑ + ∑ − + = =

 (31) 

z z z z z ij

mp

ij

md

ij

dp

ij

dd

ij + + + = (32)

v v v j

p

j

d

j + = (33)

y y y i

m

i

d

i + =

 (34)

The economic meanings of these ten constraints are straightforward. Equations (25) 

and (26) are row sum constraints for the expanded I/O account. They state that total gross 

output of sector i has to equal to the sum of domestic intermediaries, final demand and 

exports (both processing and normal exports) in that sector. Similarly, total imports have 

to equal imported intermediate inputs plus imports delivered to final users. Equations 

(27) and (28) are column sum constraints for the expanded I/O account. They define the 

value of processing exports in sector j as the sum of domestic and imported intermediate 

inputs as well as primary factors used in producing processing exports; these four groups 

of constraints correspond to equations (9)-(12) in the extended I/O model respectively. 

Equations (29) to (34) are a set of adding up constraints to ensure that the solution from 

the model is consistent with official statistics on sector-level trade and within-industry 

transactions. 

The initial values for the variables are derived from the I/O industry level information. 

In particular, those for intermediate imports are generated by allocating d mi and p mi in 

proportion to input i’s usage in sector j: 
14

 d

K i

j

ij

md ij

ij

p

K i

j

ij

mp ij

ij m

z

z

m z

z

z

z

∑ ∑

0 = 0 = (35) 

 The initial values for domestically produced intermediates are generated in two 

steps. First, we estimate total domestic product i used as intermediate inputs in sector j as 

a residual of total intermediate inputs and imported intermediate inputs: 

d

ij z = ij z - ( mdij z + mpij z ) = ddij z + dpij z (36) 

Second, we assume a proportional usage: 

dd

ij z0 = 

j

p

d j j

ij x

x e

z

( − )

 (37) 

dp

ij z0 = 

j

p

d j

ij x

e

z (38) 

The initial values for direct value added in the production for processing exports in sector 

j ( p

j v0 ), are generally set to be the residuals implied by Equation (28). However, we set a 

minimum value at the sum of labor compensation and depreciation in a sector multiplied 

by the share of processing exports in that sector’s total output. In other words, the initial 

value p

j v0 is set to equal the greater of the residuals from Equation (28) or the minimum 

value. The initial value for direct value added in the production for domestic sales and 

normal exports ( d

j v0 ) is set as the difference between j v (from the I/O table) and pj v0 . 

The proportion of processing to non-processing exports in each industry is obtained from 

the customs export statistics. The partition of imports is based on a combination of 

custom import statistics and UN BEC classification. In the application to Chinese data, 

we also conduct some sensitivity checks to using alternative initial values. It turns out 

that these alternative initial values do not materially alter our basic conclusions. We 

implement this quadratic programming model in GAMS(Brooke et al, 2005), related 

computer programs and data files will be available at The USITC website for 

downloading. 

 
15

3. Estimation Results 

After describing the data sources, we report and discuss the estimation results for 

shares of domestic and foreign content in Chinese exports at the aggregate level, and by 

sector and by firm ownership. 

3.1 Data 

Inter-industry transaction and (direct) value-added data are from China’s 1997 and 

2002 benchmark I/O tables published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China 

(NBS). We use detailed exports and imports data from 1997, 2002, and 2006 from the 

General Customs Administration of China to help differentiate the processing and normal 

trade in each sector. The trade statistics are first aggregated from the 8-digit HS level to 

China’s I/O industry level, and then used to compute the share of processing exports in 

each I/O industry. Modifying a method from Dean, Fung and Wang (2007), we partition 

all imports in a given industry into three parts based on the distinction between 

processing and normal imports in the trade statistics, and on the UN BEC classification 

scheme: (a) intermediate inputs in producing processing exports; (b) intermediate inputs 

for normal exports and other domestic final sales; and (c) those used in gross capital 

formation and final consumption. A summary of these trade statistics as a percentage of 

China’s total imports during 1996-2006 is reported in Table 2, which shows a downward 

trend for the use of imported inputs in producing processing exports, but a moderately 

upward trend in their use in producing normal trade and domestic final sales. Detailed 

trade statistics as a percentage of China’s total imports for each I/O industry in both 1997 

and 2002 is listed in Appendix tables A-C. 
16

Table 2: Final Use of Chinese Imports (in percent of total imports), 1997-2006

Source: Authors’ calculations based on the United Nation Broad Economic Categories 

(UNBEC) classification scheme, and Chinese trade statistics on normal and processing 

imports. 

 

Note: “Normal use” refers to “normal exports and domestic sales.” The UNBEC scheme classifies each HS 

6-digit product into one of three categories: “intermediate inputs,” “capital goods,” and “final 

consumption.” For the first two categories, we further decompose the imports into two subcategories: 

“processing imports” by customs declaration are classified as for processing exports, and the remaining 

imports are classified as for normal use. Capital goods are part of the final demand in a conventional I/O 

model. However, this classification may under-estimate the import content of exports. We therefore also 

experiment with classifying a fraction of the capital goods as inputs used in current year of production. This 

is discussed in Section 3.2. 

3.2 Domestic and foreign contents in total exports 

 Table 3 shows decomposition results for foreign and domestic value-added shares 

in 1997 and 2002. Preliminary estimates for 2006 are also included4

. For comparison, 

the results from the HIY method that ignore processing trade are also reported. The 

aggregate domestic value added share in China’s merchandise exports was 52.3% in 

1997, and 50.7% in 2006. For manufacturing products, these shares are slightly lower in 

levels but trending upward moderately at 47.6% in 1997 and 49.4% in 2006, respectively, 

indicating that China uses more imported intermediate inputs to produce manufacturing 

 

4

 We consider the estimates preliminary because the calculation relies on the trade statistics from 2006 but 

the I/O table from 2002. The 2002 I/O table is the most recent benchmark table currently available. The 

next benchmark table - the 2007 table – is scheduled to be released in 2010.Therefore, 2006 estimates are 

not directly comparable to 1997 and 2002 estimates. 

Share of Intermediates Share of Capital goods 

Year 

for processing exports for normal use for processing exports for normal use 

Share of final 

Consumption 

1996 46.2 26.8 8.1 16.7 2.2 

1997 51.2 28.2 12.1 7.3 1.2 

1998 50.8 28.2 10.0 9.8 1.3 

1999 43.7 34.9 11.2 8.3 1.9 

2000 39.4 41.2 9.1 8.5 1.7 

2001 36.6 41.2 11.6 8.7 1.8 

2002 38.3 38.5 10.3 11.1 1.8 

2003 35.4 41.2 11.0 10.8 1.6 

2004 35.1 42.3 9.1 12.0 1.5 

2005 36.6 42.9 8.2 10.8 1.5 

2006 35.7 43.5 10.0 9.1 1.7 
17

goods than other exports. In general, the direct domestic value-added shares are less than 

half of the total domestic value-added shares. However, the indirect foreign value-added 

share was relatively small; most of the foreign content comes from directly imported 

foreign inputs. 

Table 3 Shares of domestic and foreign value added in total exports (%) 

The HIY Method The KWW Method 

1997 2002 2006* 1997 2002 2006* 

All Merchandise 

Total Foreign value-added 17.6 25.1 26.3 47.7 46.1 49.3 

 Direct foreign value-added 8.9 14.7 15.7 46.1 42.4 45.7 

Total Domestic Value-added 82.4 74.9 73.7 52.3 53.9 50.7 

 Direct domestic value-added 29.4 26.0 25.3 23.7 20.1 19.2 

Manufacturing Goods Only 

 

Total Foreign value-added 19.0 26.4 27.1 52.4 48.7 50.6 

 Direct foreign value-added 9.7 15.6 16.3 50.9 45.0 47.0 

Total Domestic Value-added 81.1 73.6 72.9 47.6 51.3 49.4 

 Direct domestic value-added 27.5 24.6 24.6 21.2 18.5 18.4 

Source: Authors’ estimates. 

Note: The HIY method refers to estimates from using the approach in Hummels, Ishii, and Yi (2001). The 

KWW method refers to estimates from using the approach developed in this paper that takes into account 

special features of processing exports. The estimates for 2006 are preliminary as they use the trade statistics 

in 2006 but the I/O table in 2002, which is the latest available. The next one (the 2007 benchmark table) is 

scheduled to be released in 2010. 

Relative to the numbers from the HIY’s method, our procedure produces a much 

higher share of foreign value added in Chinese gross exports (approximately double) and 

shows a different trend over time. To be more precise, estimates from the HIY method 

show that the foreign content share (total VS share) increased steadily from 17.6% in 

1997 to 26.3% in 2006 for all merchandise exports, and from 19.0% to 27.1% for 

manufacturing only during the same period. In contrast, our estimates reveal no clear 

trend for foreign content (with the share of foreign value added in all merchandise 

exports falling from 47.7% in 1997 to 46.2% in 2002, and bouncing back to 49.3% in 

2006, and a similar fluctuation for the share in manufacturing exports, it fell from 52.4% 

in 1997 to 48.7% in 2002 but bounced back to 50.6 in 2006 , Overall, the HIY method 

appears to incorrectly estimate both the level and the trend in domestic versus foreign 

content in Chinese exports. 
18

What accounts for the difference between ours and HIY approaches? There are at 

least three factors drive the change of foreign content of the country’s total exports: (1) 

the relative proportions of its total imports used as intermediate inputs in producing 

processing exports and domestic sales & normal exports; (2) the share of processing 

exports in its total exports; and (3) the sector composition of its exports. Because 

processing exports tend to use substantially more imported inputs, and processing exports 

account for a major share of China’s total exports, the HIY indicator is likely to 

substantially underestimate the true for foreign content in China’s exports. This explains 

the level of domestic content by our measure is much lower than that of the HIY 

indicator. On the other hand, as exporting firms (both those producing for normal exports 

and those for processing exports) gradually increase their intermediate inputs sourcing 

from firms within China or multinationals move their upstream production to be near 

their downstream production, the extent of domestic content in exports rose over time. 

However, because exports from industries with relatively lower domestic content often 

grow faster due to dramatic inflow of foreign direct investment, the composition of a 

countries total exports may play as an offsetting factor to reduce the share of domestic 

value-added in the country’s total exports, as the case of China after its WTO entry. As 

Chinese government start to reduce the policy incentives for both FIE and processing 

exports at the end of 2006, we may see a trend of increasing domestic contents in Chinese 

exports again in the years to come. 

Our interpretation is confirmed by a separate calculation of DVA shares for 

processing and normal exports (Table 4). There is a roughly six percentage point increase 

in the total foreign value-added share for domestic sales and normal exports between 

1997 and 2006, which is consistent with the trend indicated by HIY measure. However, 

in processing exports we see that more domestic-produced inputs were used in 2002 than 

in 1997, with a reduction of imported contents by about seven percentage points, but it 

bounded back to the 1997 level in 2006 because the share of wholly foreign owned 

enterprises (whose exports has the lowest DVA share) in Chinese exports dramatically 

increased from 29.4% to 39.3%, (table 6) from 2002 to 2006. 
19

Table 4: Domestic and Foreign Values Added: Processing vs. Normal Exports 

(in percent of total exports)

Normal Exports Processing Exports

1997 2002 2006* 1997 2002 2006* 

All Merchandise 

Total Foreign value-added 5.3 10.8 11.3 81.9 74.3 81.9 

 Direct foreign value-added 1.9 4.5 4.6 81.7 72.5 80.9 

Total Domestic Value-added 94.7 89.2 88.7 18.1 25.7 18.1 

 Direct domestic value-added 34.4 31.0 29.3 15.0 11.4 10.5 

Manufacturing Goods Only

 

Total Foreign value-added 5.7 11.6 11.7 82.3 74.9 82.3 

 Direct foreign value-added 2.1 4.9 4.8 82.2 73.0 81.4 

Total Domestic Value-added 94.3 88.4 88.3 17.7 25.1 17.7 

 Direct domestic value-added 30.9 28.5 28.3 15.0 9.5 10.4 

Source: Authors’ estimates. 

Note: The estimates for 2006 are preliminary as they use the trade statistics in 2006 but the I/O table in 

2002, which is the latest available. The next benchmark I/O table - the 2007 table - is scheduled to be 

released in 2010. 

We perform a number of robustness checks on the sensitivity of our main results 

to alternative ways of setting the initial values of the variables. First, we initialize p

j v0

and d

j v0 by apportioning the observed direct value added in a sector to processing exports 

and other final demands based on their respective portions in the sector’s total output. 

Second, we initialize p

j v0 either at the residuals implied by equation (28) if the residuals 

are positive, or by following the previous alternative if the residuals are non-positive. 

Third, when we partition imports into intermediate inputs used for own-sector’s 

processing exports, and those for other purposes, we use the average of a three-year 

period (previous, current, and following years) rather than just one year’s number. 

Fourth, we experiment with 0% versus 10% annual depreciation rate for capital goods. 

These variations produce relatively little change in the main results. For example, the 

estimated share of domestic value added in manufacturing exports lies in a relatively 

narrow range between 47.6% and 49.0% in 1997, and between 49.5% and 50.8% in 2006.
20

3.3 Domestic content by sector 

To see if there are interesting patterns at the sector level, Table 5 reports, in 

ascending order, the estimated share of domestic value added in manufacturing exports in 

2002 together with each sector’s share in the country’s total manufacturing exports. We 

choose to report the results from 2002 because they use the latest I/O table released. 

Similar results for 1997 and 2006 are omitted to save space. Note, however, that the 

pairwise correlation between the 1997 and 2002 estimates at the sector-level is very high 

(Figure 2). 

Figure 2 Correlation between 1997 and 2002 DVA Shares in China’s Manufacturing 

Exports 

Among the 61 manufacturing industries in the table, 13 have a share of domestic 

value-added less than 50 percent, and collectively account for nearly 44 percent of 

China’s manufacturing exports in 2002. Many low-DVA industries are likely to be 

labeled as relatively sophisticated, such as computers and accessories, 

telecommunications equipment, measuring instruments and electronic devices. A 

common feature of these industries is that processing exports account for over two-thirds 

of their exports and foreign invested enterprises played an overwhelming role. This 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

2002 DVA share

1997 DVA share

TDV97 = 0.86TDV02 Adj. R2=0.94 Obs. = 54 

 t-statistics: (29.2) 
21

suggests that the appearance of a sophisticated export structure in China is largely a 

statistical mirage. 

Table 5 Domestic Value-added Share in Manufacturing Exports by Sector, 2002 

 Non -processing Processing Weighted sum 

Industries

 

Processin

g exports 

in percent 

of 

industry 

exports

FIE

exports

in

percent

of

industry

exports

Direct 

domesti

c valueadded 

Total 

Domesti

c Valueadded 

Direct 

domesti

c valueadded 

Total 

Domesti

c 

Valueadded 

Direct 

domesti

c valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

 

Share in 

China’s 

total 

exports 

to the 

World

Electronic computer 99.1 99.4 14.5 80.6 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.6 1.3 

Telecommunication equipment 91.2 88.4 28.1 82.8 5.4 8.4 7.4 14.9 3.4 

Cultural and office equipment 93.4 71.6 6.1 70.7 12.8 15.5 12.4 19.1 4.6 

Other computer peripheral equipment 99.2 87.6 40.7 81.0 8.4 19.1 8.7 19.7 6.2 

Electronic element and device 89.7 87.5 31.7 86.9 12.7 14.8 14.7 22.2 3.6 

Radio, television and communication 

equipment and apparatus 

90.6 62.3 35.5 77.9 8.2 31.2 10.8 35.5 5.6 

Household electric appliances 79.1 56.9 27.5 88.0 7.1 23.7 11.4 37.2 2.1 

Plastic products 64.5 51.2 26.2 82.8 10.3 12.5 16.0 37.4 2.6 

Generators 76.8 55.8 26.1 87.1 11.1 25.2 14.6 39.6 1.0 

Instruments, meters and other 

measuring equipment 

68.6 51.8 40.8 89.2 14.2 20.7 22.5 42.2 2.0 

Printing, reproduction of recording 

media 

83.0 62.7 42.5 90.7 19.9 33.3 23.8 43.1 0.3 

Other electric machinery and 

equipment 

66.8 60.1 28.4 88.3 10.6 25.2 16.5 46.1 6.1 

Leather, fur, down and related 

products 

54.3 50.3 24.1 92.3 8.8 12.0 15.8 48.7 4.9 

Man-made chemical products 58.3 65.4 21.9 79.0 10.1 30.2 15.0 50.5 0.3 

Toys, sporting and athletic and 

recreation products 

72.9 57.3 43.5 89.0 19.4 39.7 25.9 53.0 3.3 

Arts and crafts products 53.8 36.9 29.8 90.5 13.5 22.8 21.0 54.1 1.3 

Special chemical products 46.9 48.4 24.2 81.9 12.3 24.1 18.6 54.8 0.9 

Petroleum and nuclear processing 32.1 24.9 15.4 78.2 5.6 8.2 12.2 55.7 0.9 

Ship building 95.8 21.0 26.1 84.7 15.8 55.5 16.3 56.8 0.7 

Metal products 43.2 45.6 24.8 88.8 10.3 16.7 18.5 57.7 4.8 

Other general industrial machinery 43.7 43.7 28.4 89.7 13.4 18.0 21.9 58.4 3.7 

Paper and paper products 50.7 57.0 29.8 88.9 12.7 29.7 21.2 58.9 0.6 

Nonferrous metal smelting 45.0 17.4 22.4 87.6 10.8 26.1 17.2 59.9 0.9 

Other transport equipment 41.2 50.5 26.0 84.4 12.9 26.1 20.6 60.4 1.3 

Rubber products 53.1 44.4 29.9 90.2 12.4 35.4 20.6 61.1 1.7 

Other manufacturing products 48.8 39.1 30.1 90.7 12.8 30.2 21.7 61.2 0.6 

Other special industrial equipment 39.9 44.0 27.9 89.1 12.9 21.7 21.9 62.1 1.4 

Steel-smelting 58.8 86.1 25.6 89.8 13.2 43.8 18.3 62.7 0.0 

Nonferrous metal pressing 46.9 48.7 17.2 84.6 7.8 43.9 12.8 65.5 0.4 
22

Wearing apparel 45.1 39.2 30.6 91.2 11.9 37.6 22.1 67.0 7.5 

Motor vehicles 37.8 28.4 26.4 88.2 8.8 33.8 19.8 67.6 0.2 

Parts and accessories for motor 

vehicles and their engines 

34.3 54.9 27.2 88.5 10.9 28.7 21.6 68.0 0.7 

Chemical products for daily use 36.3 43.6 32.7 86.5 9.6 36.3 24.4 68.3 0.4 

Other electronic and communication 

equipment 

84.9 84.9 11.8 54.1 28.9 71.2 26.3 68.6 2.0 

Cotton textiles 28.7 28.8 24.4 90.5 10.9 14.7 20.5 68.8 3.5 

Chemical fibers 20.5 29.2 21.6 81.2 9.4 24.6 19.1 69.6 0.0 

paints, varnishes and similar coatings, 

printing ink and mastics 

29.1 44.4 23.1 83.7 8.8 36.5 18.9 70.0 0.5 

Stationary and related products 39.4 42.6 28.2 86.9 12.3 44.7 21.9 70.3 0.2 

Woolen textiles 37.7 42.6 24.1 91.9 9.3 35.3 18.6 70.5 0.4 

Glass and glass products 33.0 48.8 35.9 87.6 16.8 37.7 29.6 71.1 0.6 

Knitted and crocheted fabrics and 

articles 

31.6 34.1 32.1 90.8 14.0 34.5 26.4 73.0 6.3 

Alloy iron smelting 40.8 13.1 28.0 87.0 14.1 58.7 22.3 75.5 0.3 

Chemical pesticides 6.2 14.4 25.8 78.2 11.8 34.3 24.9 75.5 0.2 

Textiles productions 24.0 31.8 27.3 90.3 14.1 30.0 24.1 75.8 1.6 

Boiler, engines and turbine 26.6 28.4 30.4 86.3 13.6 46.9 26.0 75.8 0.4 

Railroad transport equipment 19.9 5.9 28.5 86.7 14.9 33.1 25.8 76.0 0.1 

Furniture 47.2 56.8 28.7 88.5 12.9 62.3 21.2 76.1 1.8 

Products of wood, bamboo, cane, 

palm, straw 

19.6 45.6 28.1 87.8 11.6 30.4 24.9 76.5 1.1 

Iron-smelting 23.7 3.0 23.2 88.1 11.6 53.9 20.5 79.9 0.1 

Basic chemicals 11.7 18.8 29.3 86.8 12.9 29.5 27.3 80.1 2.1 

Medical and pharmaceutical products 16.9 28.7 39.0 91.1 11.5 33.8 34.3 81.4 0.8 

Agriculture, forestry, animal 

husbandry and fishing machinery 

17.8 20.8 28.9 88.0 14.4 52.9 26.3 81.8 0.1 

Hemp textiles 19.5 19.5 23.7 90.8 12.5 49.1 21.5 82.7 0.3 

Pottery, china and earthenware 11.4 33.1 32.8 89.5 15.1 35.8 30.7 83.4 0.7 

Metalworking machinery 13.3 27.0 32.3 88.7 16.8 49.4 30.2 83.4 0.2 

Steel pressing 16.0 16.8 26.6 90.0 12.5 48.7 24.3 83.4 0.4 

Chemical fertilizers 4.5 21.7 23.5 86.6 9.9 27.7 22.9 84.0 0.1 

Fireproof materials 19.1 49.8 41.5 92.2 15.9 52.9 36.6 84.7 0.1 

Other non-metallic mineral products 14.0 35.7 34.1 91.7 17.2 53.4 31.7 86.4 0.4 

Cement, lime and plaster 7.0 77.7 27.9 91.2 20.3 22.9 27.4 86.4 0.1 

Coking 2.6 5.3 34.3 92.7 13.9 52.2 33.8 91.6 0.3 

Total manufacturing Goods except 

food 

55.7 52.0 31.0 89.2 11.4 25.7 20.1 53.9 100.0 

Source: Authors’ estimates 

The next 15 industries have their share of domestic value-added in the range of 51 

to 65 percent; they collectively accounted for 22 percent of China’s total manufacturing 
23

exports in 2002. Several labor-intensive sectors are in this group, such toys and sports 

products, and arts and crafts products. 

The remaining 33 industries have relatively high shares of domestic value-added. 

However, they as a group produced only about one third of China’s manufacturing 

exports in 2002. Apparel, the country’s largest labor intensive exporting industry, which 

by itself was responsible for 7.5 percent of the country’s total manufacturing exports in 

2002, is at the top of this group with a share of domestic content at 67 percent. The 20 

industries at the bottom of Table 5 collectively produced only about 11 percent of 

China’s manufacture exports in 2002. 

3.4 Domestic content in exports by firm ownership 

Since foreign-invested firms account for over half of China’s exports, it may be 

interesting to compare the share of domestic content in exports between them and other 

Chinese firms. Because we lack information on separate input-output coefficients by firm 

ownership, our estimation assume that they are the same on this dimension. The variation 

in the share of domestic content comes from different degrees of reliance on processing 

exports with a sector, and differences in the sector composition of their exports. 

Estimates of the domestic content shares by firm ownership are presented in Table 

6. The results show that exports by wholly foreign owned enterprises exhibit the lowest 

share of domestic valued-added (at 33% in 2002 but declined to 28% in 2006), followed 

by Sino-foreign joint venture companies (about 45% in both 2002 and 2006). Exports 

from Chinese private enterprises embodied the highest domestic content shares (84% and 

82% in 2002 and 2006, respectively), while those from the state-owned firms were in the 

middle (about 70% in both years). Note that these estimates represent the best guesses 

based on currently available information; better estimates can be derived once 

information on I/O coefficients by firm ownership becomes available. 
24

Table 6: Shares of Domestic Value Added in Exports by Firm Ownership (%)

Share of Total 

Domestic Valueadded 

Share of Direct 

Domestic Valueadded 

Share of 

processing exports 

in total exports 

Share of exports by 

firm ownership in 

China's total exports 

2002 

Wholly Foreign Owned 32.6 14.2 87.9 29.4 

Joint Venture Firms 44.1 16.4 71.0 22.6 

State Owned Firms 69.7 25.2 31.8 37.9 

Collectively Owned Firms 72.3 24.5 28.1 5.8 

Private Firms 83.7 28.3 8.7 4.3 

All Firms 53.8 20.1 55.9 100.0 

2006* 

Wholly Foreign Owned 27.8 13.3 85.3 39.3 

Joint Venture Firms 44.8 17.5 63.1 18.6 

State Owned Firms 70.0 24.6 27.1 19.8 

Collectively Owned Firms 70.9 24.2 24.7 4.3 

Private Firms 82.0 27.4 10.3 18.0 

All Firms 50.9 19.3 53.6 100.0 

Source: Authors’ estimates. 

Note: The estimates for 2006 are preliminary as they use 2006 trade statistics but the 2002 I/O table, which 

is the latest available. The next benchmark I/O table (the 2007 table) is scheduled to be released in 2010. 

3.5 DVA shares in Chinese exports by trading partners

By assuming domestic and foreign value added shares in per unit gross exports 

are the same for all destination countries in each IO industry and export regime, we can 

further estimate the domestic value-added share in China’s exports to each of its major 

trading partners. The decomposition results for China’s total merchandise exports to each 

of its major trading partners are reported in Table 7 in increasing order of the estimated 

domestic value-added share. Note, however, the variation by destination in this method 

is caused solely by China’s export structure to each of its trading partners (exports to 

each individual country/region vary by sector and trade regime structures), not the direct 

input intensities of imported intermediates in producing such exports. 

Hong Kong, the United States, Singapore, and Taiwan are at the top of the table, 

with less than 50 percent of China’s domestic value-added embodied in its exports to 

these four destinations. Since a large portion of Chinese exports to Hong Kong are reexports to the United States, the U.S. accounted for more than one third of China’s 
25

exports market in 2002. The lower domestic value-added share in its exports to the U.S. 

may partially explain why Chinese exports continued their rapid expansion in the U.S. 

market despite RMB gradually appreciation since July 2005. China’s exports to the U.S. 

have started to slow down since late 2007, likely because of other economic factors and 

policy measures adopted by the Chinese government during last year.5

Table 7 Domestic Value-added Share in Chinese Gross Merchandise Exports to its 

Major Trading Partners, in percent, 2002 

Non processing Processing Weighted-sum 

Region description

Share of 

processing 

exports in 

total exports 

to destination

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Share in 

total 

exports 

to the 

World

Hong Kong 74.0 30.5 89.1 11.5 24.4 16.4 41.2 17.5 

United States 67.2 29.6 88.8 11.1 24.6 17.1 45.6 21.6 

Singapore 62.7 28.3 86.8 11.0 22.2 17.5 46.3 2.1 

Taiwan 59.6 33.6 89.0 11.3 23.4 20.3 49.9 2.0 

Japan 59.2 33.2 90.6 11.8 29.0 20.5 54.1 15.0 

Old EU15 54.8 29.8 89.0 11.5 25.7 19.7 54.3 14.9 

Canada 48.0 30.1 89.5 11.1 26.8 21.0 59.4 1.3 

Korea Rep 45.4 35.1 90.2 12.2 27.6 24.7 61.8 4.8 

Australia & New Zealand 41.6 30.2 89.1 11.0 26.2 22.2 62.9 1.6 

Mexico 42.1 30.5 89.2 12.8 29.9 23.1 64.2 0.9 

Rest of Southeast Asia 36.6 32.7 88.1 11.1 24.0 24.8 64.7 5.1 

Rest of West Europe 42.9 29.9 89.7 12.7 32.2 22.5 65.0 0.4 

New EU10 39.5 29.9 90.0 12.3 31.6 22.9 66.9 1.3 

Rest of World 52.7 29.1 88.8 15.0 49.1 21.6 67.9 0.0 

Brazil 35.0 32.4 88.2 12.7 30.6 25.5 68.0 0.5 

Rest of East Asia 35.5 36.5 90.3 11.9 31.1 27.8 69.3 0.5 

India 24.0 33.4 88.9 10.5 22.9 27.9 73.1 0.8 

Eastern Europe/Central Asia 20.4 30.0 88.8 11.3 26.3 26.2 76.1 0.6 

Rest of Latin Amer/Caribbean 20.3 29.6 88.6 11.4 28.8 25.9 76.5 1.6 

Middle East/North Africa 19.4 29.5 88.6 11.4 28.0 26.0 76.9 3.6 

Sub-Saharan Africa 15.5 30.0 88.9 11.0 25.9 27.0 79.1 1.4 

Rest of South Asia 13.8 29.0 87.7 11.5 26.0 26.6 79.2 0.8 

Former Soviet Union 15.2 30.1 90.2 12.8 28.2 27.5 80.7 1.6 

World 55.7 31.0 89.2 11.4 25.7 20.1 53.9 100.0 

Source: Authors’ estimates. 

 

5 China has taken a series of policy measures to change its preferences to processing trade and 

foreign invested enterprises since the end of 2006. 
26

Another interesting feature in Table 7 is that China’s exports to developing 

countries embody much higher domestic valued added than its exports to OECD 

countries, but exports with higher domestic value-added (more than two thirds of the 

gross value of its exports) constituted of less than 13 percent of its total exports of goods 

in 2002. Nearly 75 percent of its exports that year had an average DVA of less than 55 

percent and over 40 percent of its exports with less than half DVA on average. These 

results further confirm that China has become a processing and assembling center in 

many global supply chains in the recent period. 

4. Concluding Remarks 

The use of imported inputs in the production for exports reduces domestic content in a 

nation’s exports. By being able to receive tariff exemptions on imported inputs, 

processing exports are likely to have especially low domestic value added per unit of 

exports.

In this paper, we first present a general framework in assessing the shares of 

domestic and foreign value added in a country’s exports when tariff-favored processing 

exports are pervasive. This formula nests the existing best known approach (HIY, 2001) 

as a special case. Because some of the I/O coefficients called for by the new formula are 

not readily available from conventional I/O tables, we propose an easy-to-replicate 

mathematical programming procedure to estimate these coefficients by combining 

information from detailed trade statistics (which records processing and normal 

exports/imports separately) with conventional input-output tables. This methodology 

should be applicable to Vietnam, Mexico, and may other countries that engage in a 

significant amount of processing exports. 

By applying our methodology to Chinese data, we have found several interesting 

patterns. First, we estimate that the level of foreign content in Chinese exports is close to 

50%, almost twice as high as what we calculate by using the HIY formula. Second, we 

find interesting heterogeneity across sectors: those sectors that are likely to be labeled as 

sophisticated or high-skilled, such as computers, electronic devices, and 

telecommunication equipment, tend to have especially low shares of domestic content. 
27

Conversely, many sectors that are relatively intensive in low-skilled labor, such as 

apparel, are likely to exhibit a high share of domestic content in China’s exports. Finally, 

we find that foreign invested firms (including both wholly-owned foreign firms and Sinoforeign joint venture firms) tend to have a relatively low share of domestic content in 

their exports. 

There are several areas in which future research can improve upon the estimation 

in this paper. First, we assign initial values of the direct domestic value added for 

processing exports at the industry level based on the information in a conventional I/O 

table. If a firm-level survey data becomes available that tracks the direct value added for 

processing and normal exports separately, we can improve the accuracy of our estimates. 

Second, as an inherent limitation of an I/O table, the input-output coefficients are 

assumed to be fixed - that’s the nature of a Leontief technology - rather than be allowed 

to respond to price changes. This could be problematic when a big change in export 

volume, such as what China has been experiencing, induces a change in the world market 

price for imported inputs, which in turn could trigger a change in the underlying 

production technology and in the corresponding I/O coefficients. These could be fruitful 

areas for future research. 
28

Appendix

Based on the I/O coefficients’ additive condition (equation 13), we can easily show that 

the domestic and foreign value-added shares in both normal and processing exports sum 

to unity. That is, both types of exports can be decomposed completely into domestic and 

foreign contents. 

From equations (18) and (21), for normal trade: 

1 1 1 ( ) ( ) ( )( ) − − − + = − + − = + − D D

v

D DD MD DD MD

v

D D DVS VSS A I A uA I A uA A I A (A1) 

Substituting equation (13), the I/O coefficients additive condition 

D DD

v

MD uA + A = u − uA into (A1) we have:

DVS VSS u uA I A u I A I A u

D D DD DD DD DD + = − − = − − = −1 −1 ( )( ) ( )( ) (A2) 

similarly, for processing trade: 

u I A I A A uA A u

uA A I A A uA A

DVS VSS A I A A A uA I A A uA

P

v

DD DD DP MP

P

v

D DD DP MP

v

MD

P MD DD DP MP

v

D DD DP

v

P P

= − − + + =

= + − + +

+ = − + + − +

−

−

− −

1

1

1 1

( )( )

( )( )

( ) ( )

 (A3) 

Reference 

Banister, Judith, (2005), “Manufacturing employment in China” BLS Monthly Labor 

Review (July) 

Brooke, Kendrick, Meeraus, and Raman, 2005, “GAMS -- User's Guide” GAMS 

Development Cooperation, Washington, DC. 

Chen, X., L. Cheng, K.C. Fung and L. J. Lau. 2004. “The Estimation of Domestic 

Value-Added and Employment Induced by Exports: An Application to Chinese Exports 

to the United States,” Stanford University. 

Chinn, Menzie D., 2005, “Supply Capacity, Vertical Specialization and Tariff Rates: The 

Implications for Aggregate U.S. Trade Flow Equations,” NBER working paper 11719. 

Dean, Judith M., K.C. Fung, and Zhi Wang, 2007, “Measuring the Vertical Specialization 

in Chinese Trade,” Office of Economics Working Paper No. 2007-01-A, U.S. 

International Trade Commission. 

Goh, Ai-Ting, and Jacques Olivier, 2004, “International Vertical Specialization, 

Imperfect Competition and Welfare,” HEC School of Management (France) working 

paper. 
29

Koopman, Robert, Zhi Wang and Shang-jin Wei, 2008, “How much Chinese exports is 

really made in China – Assessing foreign and domestic value-added in gross exports,” 

Office of Economics Working Paper No. 2008-03-B, U.S. International Trade 

Commission. 

Krugman, Paul, 2008, “Trade and Wages, Reconsidered,” paper prepared for the 

Brookings Paper on Economic Activity, Princeton University manuscript, February. 

http://www.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/pk-bpea-draft.pdf. 

Lau, L.J., X. Chen, L. K. Cheng, K. C. Fung, Y. Sung, C. Yang, K. Zhu, J. Pei and Z. 

Tang. “Non-Competitive Input-Output Model and Its Application: An Examination of 

the China-U.S. Trade Surplus” Social Science in China, 2007(5): 91-103 (in Chinese). 

Lawrence, Robert, 2008, Blue Collar Blues: Is Trade to Blame for Rising US Income 

Inequality? Peterson Institute for International Economics. 

Linden, Greg, Kenneth L, Kraemer, and Jason Dedrick, 2007, “What Captures Value in a 

Global Innovation System?” The Paul Merage School of Business, UC Irvine, working 

paper. 

Hummels, D., J. Ishii and K. Yi. 2001. “The Nature and Growth of Vertical 

Specialization in World Trade,” Journal of international economics 54:75-96. 

National Research Council , 2006, Analyzing the U.S. Content of Imports and the Foreign 

Content of Exports. Committee on Analyzing the U.S. Content of Imports and the 

Foreign Content of Exports. Center for Economics, Governance, and International 

Studies, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: 

The National Academies Press. 

Rodrik, Dani, 2006, “What’s so special about China’s exports?” China & World 

Economy. 14(5): 1-19, September/October.

Schott, Peter, 2008, “The relative sophistication of Chinese exports,” Economic Policy

53:5-49, January. 

Varian, Hal R., 2007, “An iPod Has Global Value. Ask the (Many) Countries That Make 

it,” The New York Times, June 28. 

Wang, Zhi, and Shang-Jin Wei, 2008, “What accounts for the rising sophistication of 

China’s exports?” NBER Working Paper 13771, February. 

Xu, Bin, 2007, “Measuring China’s export sophistication,” China Europe International 

Business School working paper. 

Yi, Kei-Mu, 2003. “Can Vertical Specialization Explain the Growth of World Trade?” 

Journal of Political Economy, vol. 111, 1: 52-102. 
30

Appendix Table A Final Use of Total Imports by China’s IO Industries, in percent, 

2002

 IO Industry description Share of 

Intermediates 

for 

processing 

exports 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

Processing 

exports 

Share of final 

Consumption 

Agriculture 11.7 76.1 12.2 

Forestry 66.0 34.0 0.0 

Logging and transport of timber and bamboo 4.0 96.0 

Animal Husbandry 22.6 74.2 3.1 0.0 

Fishery 6.0 0.5 93.5 

Technical services for agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing 52.4 47.6 

Mining and Washing of Coal 0.9 99.1 

Extraction of Petroleum and Natural Gas 6.8 93.2 

Ferrous metal ore mining 5.9 94.1 

Non-ferrous metal ore mining 12.6 87.4 

Salt mining 9.8 90.2 

Non-metal minerals and other mining 57.0 43.0 

Grain mill products 71.0 24.7 4.3 

Forage 1.9 95.4 2.7 

vegetable oil refining 4.0 91.4 4.6 

Sugar manufacturing 32.1 66.7 1.2 

Slaughtering and meat processing 9.2 25.4 65.4 

Fish and fish productions 53.8 31.5 14.7 

All other food manufacturing 15.5 27.1 57.4 

Wines, spirits and liquors 1.8 2.2 96.1 

Soft drink and other beverage 5.5 26.5 68.0 

Tobacco products 0.5 0.1 99.4 

Cotton textiles 84.6 15.4 0.0 

Woolen textiles 83.5 16.4 0.1 

Hemp textiles 98.0 1.9 0.0 

Textiles productions 89.5 9.7 0.8 

Knitted and crocheted fabrics and articles 95.5 1.3 3.3 

Wearing apparel 87.2 0.0 12.8 

Leather, fur, down and related products 89.8 8.3 1.8 

Products of wood, bamboo, cane, palm, straw 59.1 40.9 

Furniture 28.0 42.7 7.3 1.8 20.3 

Paper and paper products 36.9 62.8 0.3 

Printing, reproduction of recording media 59.4 12.5 28.1 

Stationary and related products 31.1 60.9 8.0 

Toys, sporting and athletic and recreation products 71.7 1.8 0.4 10.1 16.0 

Petroleum and nuclear processing 2.4 97.2 0.5 0.0 

Coking 3.7 96.3 

Basic chemicals 15.8 84.2 

Chemical fertilizers 0.1 99.9 

Chemical pesticides 5.2 94.8 

paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics 50.4 49.6 0.0 

Man-made chemical products 61.7 38.3 

Special chemical products 53.0 45.4 0.0 0.0 1.5 

Chemical products for daily use 33.9 53.1 12.9 

Medical and pharmaceutical products 5.8 40.1 54.1 

Chemical fibers 28.3 71.7 

Rubber products 42.5 54.2 3.3 

Plastic products 70.6 25.3 4.1 

Cement, lime and plaster 14.0 86.0 
31

IO Industry description Share of 

Intermediates 

for 

processing 

exports 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

Processing 

exports 

Share of final 

Consumption 

Glass and glass products 59.0 39.9 1.0 

Pottery, china and earthenware 39.8 55.4 4.8 

Fireproof materials 33.6 66.4 

Other non-metallic mineral products 42.9 56.3 0.8 

Iron-smelting 5.4 94.6 

Steel-smelting 36.2 63.8 

Steel pressing 40.3 59.7 

Alloy iron smelting 7.7 92.3 

Nonferrous metal smelting 30.1 69.9 

Nonferrous metal pressing 68.4 31.6 

Metal products 38.8 37.8 6.8 16.0 0.5 

Boiler, engines and turbine 8.8 64.2 21.7 5.2 0.1 

Metalworking machinery 3.7 9.5 28.1 58.8 

Other general industrial machinery 15.5 26.3 27.1 30.4 0.6 

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing machinery 2.3 10.7 62.4 17.2 7.4 

Other special industrial equipment 4.0 8.5 37.0 50.0 0.5 

Railroad transport equipment 0.3 31.9 67.8 0.0 

Motor vehicles 0.6 2.1 87.7 9.3 0.3 

Parts and accessories for motor vehicles and their engines 2.1 97.9 

Ship building 8.0 40.3 45.7 5.3 0.7 

Other transport equipment 5.4 27.4 67.2 0.1 

Generators 22.9 12.5 28.3 36.2 

Household electric appliances 63.6 23.5 1.0 0.5 11.3 

Other electric machinery and equipment 37.2 24.8 12.0 25.7 0.3 

Telecommunication equipment 4.2 17.4 74.6 3.8 0.0 

Electronic computer 91.8 8.2 

Other computer peripheral equipment 54.4 12.4 20.4 12.9 

Electronic element and device 80.6 17.7 0.2 1.5 

Radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus 76.3 4.3 8.2 6.9 4.4 

Other electronic and communication equipment 45.0 50.9 3.5 0.6 

Instruments, meters and other measuring equipment 16.3 5.1 26.5 50.7 1.4 

Cultural and office equipment 54.1 11.2 18.6 14.5 1.6 

Arts and crafts products 93.3 1.4 5.3 

Other manufacturing products 91.4 5.4 0.2 0.0 3.0 

Scrap and waste 8.3 91.7 

Total Merchandise 38.2 38.8 11.1 10.2 1.7 

Source: Author’s aggregation. UN BEC classification and processing trade information 

from China custom trade statistics were combined to identify the purpose of final use. 
32

Appendix Table B Final Use of Total Imports by China’s IO Industries, in percent, 

1997 

Description 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for processing 

exports 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

Processing 

exports 

Share of final 

Consumption 

Crop cultivation 43.7 51.7 4.7 

Forestry 45.9 26.2 27.8 

Livestock and livestock products 69.9 29.3 0.7 0.1 

Fishery 16.7 0 83.3 

Other agricultural products 77.8 10.6 11.5 

Coal mining and processing 36 64 

Crude petroleum products 22.2 77.8 

Natural gas products 100 

Ferrous ore mining 53.4 46.6 

Non-ferrous ore mining 57.2 42.8 

Salt mining 43.9 56.1 

Non-metal minerals and other mining 84.7 15.3 

Logging and transport of timber and bamboo 27.5 72.5 

Grain mill products, vegetable oil and forage 23.6 76 0.4 

Sugar refining 51.1 48.4 0.5 

Slaughtering , meat processing, eggs and dairy products 71.6 22.8 5.6 

Prepared fish and seafood 93.3 1.7 5 

Other food products 43.3 21.8 34.9 

Wines, spirits and liquors 5.8 3.9 90.3 

Non-alcoholic beverage 69.3 2.5 28.1 

Tobacco products 1.4 0.1 98.5 

Cotton textiles 98.7 1.3 0 

Woolen textiles 93.7 6.2 0 

Hemp textiles 95.4 4.6 0 

Silk textiles 96.2 3.8 0 

Knitted mills 98 1.1 0.9 

Other textiles 98.6 1.4 0 

Wearing apparel 97.4 0 2.5 

Leather, furs, down and related products 98.3 1 0.7 

Sawmills and fibreboard 72.3 27.7 

Furniture and products of wood, bamboo, cane, palm, straw, etc. 57.7 16.1 6 4 16.3 

Paper and products 54.1 45.7 0.1 

Printing and record medium reproduction 76.2 22.6 1.1 

Cultural goods 16 83.3 0.6 

Toys, sporting and athletic and recreation products 64.8 0.4 4.2 23.4 7.2 

Petroleum refining 8.9 91.1 

Coking 13.9 86.1 

Raw chemical materials 53.1 46.9 

Chemical fertilizers 0.3 99.7 

Chemical pesticides 6.9 0.8 92.3 

Organic chemical products 50.7 49.3 0 

Chemical products for daily use 64.2 20.8 15 

Other chemical products 78.6 21.3 0 0 0.2 
33

Description 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for processing 

exports 

Share of 

Intermediates 

for normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

Processing 

exports 

Share of final 

Consumption 

Medical and pharmaceutical products 16.9 28.6 54.4 

Chemical fibers 79.8 20.2 0 

Rubber products 73.7 25.8 0.5 

Plastic products 88.6 9.2 2.2 

Cement 12.4 87.6 

Cement and asbestos products 68.1 31.9 

Bricks, tiles, lime and light-weight building materials 52.7 47.3 0 

Glass and glass products 78.6 20.4 1 

 Pottery, china and earthenware 66.8 29.9 3.3 

Fireproof products 67 33 

Other non-metallic mineral products 83.8 15.6 0.6 

Iron-smelting 78.1 21.9 

Steel-smelting 23.8 76.2 

Steel processing 62.1 37.9 

Alloy iron smelting 52.5 47.5 

Nonferrous metal smelting 45 55 

Nonferrous metal processing 83.3 16.7 

Metal products 58.9 19.7 2.5 18.3 0.6 

Boiler, engines and turbine 23.9 48.4 13.4 14.2 0.2 

Metalworking machinery 10.2 9.3 17.9 62.6 

Other general industrial machinery 22.8 14.1 18.6 44.2 0.2 

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing machinery 9.9 4 37.1 46.4 2.7 

Other special industrial equipment 12.9 5.6 16.7 64.7 0.1 

Railroad transport equipment 11.1 28.2 59.8 0.8 

Motor vehicles 4.1 64.5 25.6 5.8 0.1 

Ship building 12 4.9 25.6 56.6 0.9 

Aircraft 2.7 17.1 78 1.4 0.8 

Bicycle 89.6 10 0.4 

Other transport machinery 17.5 81.8 0.7 

Generators 29.6 5.5 19.5 45.3 

 Household electric appliances 40.8 11.3 4.4 35 8.5 

Other electric machinery and equipment 54.3 11.6 9.5 23.9 0.7 

Electronic computer 69.2 3.9 13.4 13.5 

Electronic appliances 93.5 2.6 1.8 2 0.1 

 Electronic element and device 74.9 17.4 0.8 6.8 

Other electronic and communication equipment 18.5 25.4 47 3.5 5.5 

Instruments, meters and other measuring equipment 37.3 5 24.5 33 0.2 

Cultural and office equipment 89.5 3.2 4.6 2.4 0.3 

Arts and crafts products 89.3 2.2 8.5 

Other manufacturing products 96.6 2.1 0 0 1.3 

Total Merchandise 51.2 28.2 7.3 12.1 1.2 

 

Source: Author’s aggregation. UN BEC classification and processing trade information 

from China custom trade statistics were combined to identify the purpose of final use. 

 
34

Appendix Table C Final Use of Total Imports by Major Source Countries, 2002 

Region Description Share of 

Intermediates 

for 

processing 

exports 

Share of 

Intermediate

s for normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

normal 

use 

Share of 

Capital 

goods for 

Processing 

exports 

Share of final 

Consumption 

Share of 

processin

g exports 

Share in 

total 

imports 

from the 

World 

Australia & New Zealand 27.5 65.7 2.1 0.7 4.0 41.7 2.2 

Brazil 10.1 84.2 2.4 1.0 2.4 34.5 1.1 

Canada 16.7 63.8 14.5 2.5 2.5 47.9 1.3 

Rest of East Asia 26.5 43.1 0.2 0.2 30.0 36.6 0.2 

Eastern Europe/Central Asia 8.4 86.8 2.0 1.0 1.8 20.4 0.3 

New EU10 35.7 42.3 12.7 6.4 2.9 40.4 0.3 

Old EU15 18.2 39.5 27.0 12.6 2.7 54.7 13.7 

Former Soviet Union 8.9 84.1 5.8 0.1 1.0 15.0 3.9 

Hong Kong 74.9 9.3 2.7 10.8 2.2 74.6 3.7 

India 26.4 69.4 1.6 0.6 2.0 23.4 0.8 

Japan 46.9 27.3 10.2 15.1 0.7 58.5 19.0 

Korea Rep 47.4 31.9 10.6 9.8 0.4 45.2 10.5 

Rest of Latin America & 

Caribbean 

11.4 86.2 0.4 0.1 1.9 20.4 1.5 

Middle East/North Africa 13.4 84.5 1.0 0.9 0.2 19.4 3.8 

Mexico 56.9 29.5 8.4 3.4 1.9 41.7 0.4 

Rest of West Europe 15.9 38.1 20.8 17.9 7.2 42.5 1.0 

Rest of South Asia 84.8 13.4 0.0 0.3 1.5 14.0 0.2 

Rest of Southeast Asia 49.2 40.6 2.6 4.9 2.7 37.9 8.6 

Singapore 43.7 37.0 8.5 9.8 1.1 63.5 2.4 

Sub-Saharan Africa 16.1 83.4 0.2 0.0 0.2 15.7 1.4 

Taiwan province 60.0 17.7 4.3 17.7 0.3 60.9 14.1 

United States 25.5 35.3 26.2 9.2 3.8 67.4 9.5 

Rest of World 26.9 54.7 0.6 0.3 17.5 52.3 0.0 

World Total 38.5 38.3 11.2 10.4 1.7 55.9 100.0 

Source: Author’s aggregation. UN BEC classification and processing trade information 

from China custom trade statistics were combined to identify the purpose of final use. 
35 

Appendix Table D Domestic and foreign value-added embodied in Chinese gross 

merchandise exports, in percent, 2002 

Split Method HIY Method 

IO industry description Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Agriculture 2.3 64.8 5.5 94.5 1.9 65.4 6.2 93.8 

Forestry 3.1 64.5 5.8 94.2 1.8 65.5 5.4 94.6 

Logging and transport of timber and bamboo 3.8 60.7 6.6 93.4 2.8 60.7 7.0 93.0 

Animal Husbandry 2.0 45.3 5.2 94.8 1.2 45.7 5.6 94.4 

Fishery 1.8 54.8 5.6 94.4 1.6 55.0 6.7 93.3 

Technical services for agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing 18.2 47.8 21.0 79.0 2.3 54.8 7.3 92.7 

Mining and Washing of Coal 2.0 56.9 5.7 94.3 3.3 56.9 8.6 91.4 

Extraction of Petroleum and Natural Gas 3.7 69.5 6.2 93.8 2.9 71.1 6.6 93.4 

Ferrous metal ore mining 6.2 46.3 10.6 89.4 5.6 46.3 11.9 88.1 

Non-ferrous metal ore mining 8.4 38.5 14.6 85.4 5.0 39.9 13.8 86.2 

Salt mining 3.0 63.6 6.2 93.8 2.6 63.9 7.5 92.5 

Non-metal minerals and other mining 20.8 37.9 25.1 74.9 4.7 44.6 12.3 87.7 

Grain mill products 43.5 13.4 46.2 53.8 3.0 20.1 8.7 91.3 

Forage 19.7 16.4 23.7 76.3 5.9 18.1 12.4 87.6 

vegetable oil refining 16.9 17.8 21.4 78.6 4.6 21.7 10.7 89.3 

Sugar manufacturing 34.0 13.6 38.7 61.3 3.2 31.2 8.7 91.3 

Slaughtering and meat processing 7.0 14.7 11.0 89.0 2.2 16.1 7.9 92.1 

Fish and fish productions 13.6 20.4 17.3 82.7 2.4 24.9 8.3 91.7 

All other food manufacturing 20.8 23.2 25.3 74.8 5.1 26.8 12.7 87.4 

Wines, spirits and liquors 16.6 35.7 20.2 79.8 2.8 40.7 8.6 91.4 

Soft drink and other beverage 13.4 28.5 18.9 81.1 4.5 31.7 13.1 86.9 

Tobacco products 2.8 72.8 4.3 95.7 0.7 76.3 2.6 97.4 

Cotton textiles 26.3 20.5 31.3 68.8 8.5 23.7 18.6 81.4 

Woolen textiles 24.9 18.6 29.5 70.5 6.3 23.5 14.9 85.1 

Hemp textiles 11.4 21.5 17.3 82.7 5.1 23.6 14.1 85.9 

Textiles productions 18.8 24.1 24.2 75.8 10.7 26.0 21.3 78.7 

Knitted and crocheted fabrics and articles 21.7 26.4 27.0 73.0 10.3 27.9 21.0 79.0 

Wearing apparel 28.4 22.1 33.0 67.0 10.5 27.1 20.9 79.2 

Leather, fur, down and related products 48.7 15.8 51.3 48.7 13.5 20.5 23.5 76.5 

Products of wood, bamboo, cane, palm, straw 17.6 24.9 23.5 76.5 8.2 27.8 17.3 82.7 

Furniture 17.5 21.2 23.9 76.1 7.8 26.4 18.1 81.9 

Paper and paper products 37.2 21.2 41.1 58.9 7.2 29.5 15.5 84.5 

Printing, reproduction of recording media 54.6 23.8 56.9 43.1 5.6 42.0 13.9 86.1 

Stationary and related products 23.5 21.9 29.7 70.3 8.4 26.9 19.6 80.4 

Toys, sporting and athletic and recreation products 43.4 25.9 47.0 53.0 10.9 31.8 21.4 78.6 

Petroleum and nuclear processing 41.2 12.2 44.3 55.7 18.7 15.3 24.9 75.1 

Coking 4.1 33.8 8.4 91.6 2.9 34.3 9.4 90.6 

Basic chemicals 14.6 27.3 19.9 80.1 9.2 28.9 17.2 82.8 

Chemical fertilizers 8.8 22.9 16.0 84.0 7.8 23.5 18.6 81.5 

Chemical pesticides 16.9 24.9 24.5 75.5 12.7 25.7 23.3 76.7 

paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics 22.7 18.9 30.0 70.0 10.5 22.8 22.1 77.9 

Man-made chemical products 43.6 15.0 49.5 50.5 13.5 21.6 25.9 74.1 

Special chemical products 40.4 18.6 45.2 54.8 13.3 23.6 23.9 76.1 

Chemical products for daily use 25.9 24.4 31.7 68.3 8.0 31.9 18.3 81.7 

Medical and pharmaceutical products 13.9 34.3 18.6 81.4 5.3 38.7 12.5 87.5 

Chemical fibers 22.0 19.1 30.4 69.6 13.8 21.6 26.4 73.6 

Rubber products 35.2 20.6 38.9 61.1 7.3 27.7 15.6 84.4 

Plastic products 58.9 16.0 62.6 37.4 14.6 25.1 27.9 72.1 

Cement, lime and plaster 7.9 27.4 13.6 86.4 4.8 27.9 13.6 86.4 
36 

Split Method HIY Method 

IO industry description Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Glass and glass products 23.9 29.6 28.9 71.1 8.4 35.2 16.8 83.2 

Pottery, china and earthenware 10.7 30.7 16.6 83.4 5.9 32.2 14.9 85.2 

Fireproof materials 10.5 36.6 15.3 84.7 3.8 41.4 10.9 89.1 

Other non-metallic mineral products 8.3 31.7 13.7 86.4 4.0 33.9 12.0 88.0 

Iron-smelting 14.8 20.5 20.1 79.9 7.0 23.2 14.2 85.8 

Steel-smelting 32.7 18.3 37.3 62.7 5.2 25.6 13.0 87.0 

Steel pressing 10.3 24.3 16.6 83.4 5.0 26.5 13.8 86.2 

Alloy iron smelting 18.9 22.3 24.6 75.5 7.1 27.3 15.4 84.6 

Nonferrous metal smelting 35.8 17.2 40.1 59.9 7.4 22.0 15.9 84.1 

Nonferrous metal pressing 27.7 12.8 34.5 65.5 9.2 16.9 20.4 79.7 

Metal products 37.9 18.5 42.4 57.7 7.0 23.7 17.1 82.9 

Boiler, engines and turbine 18.3 26.0 24.2 75.8 9.6 30.1 19.2 80.8 

Metalworking machinery 10.5 30.2 16.6 83.4 8.1 32.2 17.7 82.3 

Other general industrial machinery 37.4 21.9 41.6 58.4 7.5 27.5 18.0 82.0 

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing machinery 11.6 26.3 18.3 81.8 6.7 28.8 16.9 83.1 

Other special industrial equipment 33.3 21.9 37.9 62.1 9.3 27.4 19.2 80.8 

Railroad transport equipment 18.1 25.8 24.0 76.0 7.4 28.4 17.5 82.5 

Motor vehicles 26.6 19.8 32.4 67.6 6.1 26.4 17.2 82.8 

Parts and accessories for motor vehicles and their engines 26.4 21.6 32.0 68.0 6.6 26.9 17.4 82.6 

Ship building 38.4 16.3 43.3 56.8 12.7 23.8 23.1 77.0 

Other transport equipment 34.4 20.6 39.6 60.4 10.9 25.0 22.3 77.7 

Generators 57.5 14.6 60.4 39.6 10.5 23.5 21.4 78.6 

Household electric appliances 59.4 11.4 62.8 37.2 10.5 23.9 23.0 77.0 

Other electric machinery and equipment 49.5 16.5 53.9 46.1 9.9 24.4 21.8 78.2 

Telecommunication equipment 84.0 7.4 85.1 14.9 24.2 23.5 37.9 62.1 

Electronic computer 95.3 4.0 95.4 4.6 35.2 13.2 51.5 48.5 

Other computer peripheral equipment 78.9 8.7 80.4 19.7 35.0 20.8 46.2 53.8 

Electronic element and device 76.8 14.7 77.8 22.2 23.4 26.1 33.3 66.7 

Radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus 61.1 10.8 64.5 35.5 34.6 19.4 45.6 54.4 

Other electronic and communication equipment 25.5 26.3 31.4 68.6 31.7 26.0 40.2 59.8 

Instruments, meters and other measuring equipment 55.6 22.5 57.8 42.2 14.6 32.1 24.3 75.7 

Cultural and office equipment 80.0 12.4 80.9 19.1 40.0 10.6 56.8 43.2 

Arts and crafts products 42.4 21.0 46.0 54.1 7.0 27.8 16.5 83.5 

Other manufacturing products 34.7 21.7 38.8 61.2 6.9 28.6 16.3 83.8 

Total Merchandise 42.4 20.1 46.1 53.9 15.0 26.0 25.4 74.6 

Source: Authors’ estimates. 
37 

Appendix Table E Domestic and foreign value-added embodied in Chinese gross 

merchandise exports, in percent, 1997 

Split Method HIY Method 

IO industry description Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Crop cultivation 3.5 64.5 5.3 94.7 2.5 65.0 6.0 94.0

Forestry 2.4 72.7 3.6 96.4 1.4 73.3 3.7 96.3

Livestock and livestock products 4.0 49.2 6.1 93.9 2.7 49.6 6.3 93.7

Fishery 6.5 58.9 8.5 91.6 2.2 60.6 6.0 94.0

Other agricultural products 7.8 54.9 9.4 90.6 1.8 57.2 5.3 94.7

Coal mining and processing 1.4 51.4 4.0 96.0 3.7 51.4 9.2 90.8

Crude petroleum products 1.0 75.2 2.5 97.5 2.5 75.2 5.4 94.6

Natural gas products 2.6 54.2 5.5 94.6 4.5 54.2 10.2 89.8

Ferrous ore mining 3.3 33.7 7.1 92.9 8.4 33.7 16.0 84.0

Non-ferrous ore mining 7.7 34.9 10.7 89.3 4.4 36.1 11.5 88.5

Salt mining 1.3 59.7 3.5 96.5 2.1 60.0 7.3 92.7

Non-metal minerals and other mining 18.8 36.3 21.4 78.6 4.9 40.1 11.9 88.1

Logging and transport of timber and bamboo 5.4 60.1 7.0 93.0 2.4 62.1 5.9 94.1

Grain mill products, vegetable oil and forage 49.0 12.7 50.6 49.4 3.7 18.7 9.1 90.9

Sugar refining 78.6 12.2 79.0 21.0 3.3 18.7 9.1 90.9

Slaughtering , meat processing, eggs and dairy products 10.6 14.4 13.6 86.4 1.8 15.3 7.6 92.4

Prepared fish and seafood 17.1 22.3 19.4 80.6 1.1 25.1 6.0 94.0

Other food products 24.1 26.9 26.4 73.6 3.8 31.3 9.7 90.3

Wines, spirits and liquors 17.5 29.0 20.0 80.0 3.1 32.9 9.0 91.0

Non-alcoholic beverage 15.5 27.0 18.4 81.6 3.7 29.7 10.5 89.5

Tobacco products 7.9 52.1 9.6 90.4 2.0 55.8 5.8 94.2

Cotton textiles 34.4 24.0 36.5 63.5 8.5 28.3 18.2 81.8

Woolen textiles 56.6 20.0 57.6 42.5 5.8 33.5 12.3 87.7

Hemp textiles 26.1 25.3 28.3 71.7 6.3 27.9 12.5 87.6

Silk textiles 5.6 24.1 8.6 91.4 2.6 24.9 10.8 89.2

Knitted mills 23.9 26.5 26.2 73.8 9.0 28.1 18.5 81.5

Other textiles 51.5 17.6 52.9 47.1 5.7 25.9 11.6 88.4

Wearing apparel 39.0 30.3 40.4 59.6 6.8 36.1 15.3 84.7

Leather, furs, down and related products 61.9 17.5 62.8 37.3 11.6 22.6 20.6 79.4

Sawmills and fibreboard 20.7 27.4 23.2 76.8 6.4 30.5 13.3 86.7

Furniture and products of wood, bamboo, cane, palm, straw, etc. 37.6 21.6 39.7 60.3 7.3 26.3 16.4 83.6

Paper and products 51.5 22.3 52.8 47.2 5.3 29.4 12.4 87.7

Printing and record medium reproduction 66.1 21.1 66.8 33.2 6.3 37.4 13.6 86.4

Cultural goods 50.7 27.4 51.9 48.1 6.4 41.1 13.7 86.3

Toys, sporting and athletic and recreation products 60.4 24.7 61.2 38.8 10.2 27.9 20.0 80.0

Petroleum refining 50.4 14.4 51.8 48.2 15.2 22.0 20.3 79.7

Coking 4.4 22.7 7.6 92.4 2.5 23.0 9.7 90.3

Raw chemical materials 5.8 31.9 9.0 91.0 3.1 32.9 10.1 89.9

Chemical fertilizers 5.6 22.1 9.7 90.3 5.2 22.4 14.7 85.3

Chemical pesticides 20.6 20.5 24.4 75.6 4.9 23.0 14.6 85.4

Organic chemical products 19.9 20.5 24.4 75.6 8.6 22.2 18.3 81.8

Chemical products for daily use 36.0 27.7 38.3 61.7 4.5 37.8 12.3 87.7

Other chemical products 35.0 21.3 37.5 62.5 8.1 25.7 15.8 84.2

Medical and pharmaceutical products 15.8 32.9 18.4 81.6 3.0 36.9 9.5 90.5

Chemical fibers 63.3 15.0 64.9 35.1 14.8 23.3 25.2 74.8

Rubber products 60.7 17.4 61.7 38.3 8.6 25.0 17.1 82.9

Plastic products 65.6 16.0 67.0 33.1 12.9 24.3 23.6 76.4

Cement 5.1 23.6 8.9 91.1 3.9 24.0 12.7 87.3

Cement and asbestos products 47.4 19.0 49.2 50.8 2.4 26.8 11.1 88.9
38 

Split Method HIY Method 

IO industry description Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Direct 

foreign 

valueadded 

Direct 

domestic 

valueadded 

Total 

Foreign 

valueadded 

Total 

Domestic 

Valueadded 

Bricks, tiles, lime and light-weight building materials 9.3 37.4 12.2 87.8 3.6 39.6 10.3 89.7

Glass and glass products 35.6 25.2 37.8 62.2 4.5 30.7 12.4 87.6

 Pottery, china and earthenware 13.0 35.5 16.0 84.0 3.3 37.8 10.6 89.4

Fireproof products 7.6 27.4 11.0 89.0 3.6 28.5 11.6 88.4

Other non-metallic mineral products 17.0 27.9 19.8 80.3 3.0 30.9 10.6 89.4

Iron-smelting 36.4 17.3 38.4 61.6 5.7 22.3 12.9 87.1

Steel-smelting 66.9 16.8 67.7 32.3 3.9 23.7 11.6 88.4

Steel processing 73.4 13.6 74.2 25.8 5.9 21.0 15.1 84.9

Alloy iron smelting 41.5 18.1 43.6 56.4 5.5 21.4 14.2 85.8

Nonferrous metal smelting 35.0 16.4 37.2 62.8 4.6 19.5 12.5 87.6

Nonferrous metal processing 40.4 12.2 42.9 57.1 7.2 15.4 16.7 83.3

Metal products 38.2 19.5 40.8 59.2 5.9 23.3 15.4 84.6

Boiler, engines and turbine 28.8 28.9 31.4 68.6 7.4 34.6 15.5 84.5

Metalworking machinery 20.1 28.7 23.1 76.9 5.8 31.9 14.5 85.5

Other general industrial machinery 37.2 29.0 39.2 60.8 5.3 37.7 13.3 86.8

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing machinery 9.4 21.0 13.8 86.2 6.5 21.8 17.2 82.8

Other special industrial equipment 36.1 25.9 38.4 61.6 7.6 32.5 16.3 83.7

Railroad transport equipment 39.8 22.5 42.1 57.9 5.5 26.3 15.2 84.8

Motor vehicles 35.7 20.0 38.6 61.4 5.2 25.7 15.3 84.7

Ship building 70.9 22.6 71.4 28.7 8.1 28.7 17.6 82.4

Aircraft 29.2 38.8 31.3 68.7 23.5 42.4 28.0 72.0

Bicycle 72.1 12.8 73.1 26.9 6.5 18.8 18.0 82.0

Other transport machinery 38.2 20.4 40.9 59.1 6.2 27.4 16.3 83.7

Generators 74.1 15.9 74.7 25.3 7.9 26.2 17.8 82.2

 Household electric appliances 72.6 14.2 73.5 26.6 8.7 26.3 19.7 80.3

Other electric machinery and equipment 68.3 13.9 69.5 30.5 9.0 19.7 20.0 80.0

Electronic computer 86.3 12.2 86.4 13.6 24.5 23.4 36.7 63.3

Electronic appliances 84.7 10.9 85.0 15.0 21.5 19.8 33.5 66.5

 Electronic element and device 73.9 17.1 74.4 25.6 14.6 29.7 23.6 76.4

Other electronic and communication equipment 80.0 15.4 80.4 19.6 18.3 27.3 30.0 70.0

Instruments, meters and other measuring equipment 62.3 25.8 63.0 37.0 10.6 36.3 19.1 80.9

Cultural and office equipment 82.6 16.3 82.7 17.3 15.6 19.8 26.9 73.1

Arts and crafts products 48.2 22.1 49.7 50.3 6.1 29.8 14.2 85.9

Other manufacturing products 58.9 22.9 59.9 40.1 5.5 34.3 13.7 86.3

Total Merchandise 46.1 23.7 47.7 52.3 9.0 29.4 17.9 82.1

Source: Authors’ estimates.