Global Supply Chains: 

New Resources and the Path Forward

October 26, 2023

2023 FCSM Research and Policy 

Conference

Tom Howells

thomas.howells@bea.gov

301.278.9586
Outline

•Background

•Past and Current Work

• Looking Forward

12/7/2023

2
Why do global supply chains matter?

12/7/2023

3
Modeling U.S. Participation in Global Supply Chains

12/7/2023

4

Imports

Supply Table

Make Matrix

Intermediate 

Inputs

Use Table

Value Added

Final Uses
BEA Global Supply Chain Strategy

12/7/2023

5

Existing 

International 

Trade and MNE 

Statistics

SUT 

Framework

TiVA Statistics

New BEA

Survey Data, 

Data Links, and 

Data Purchases

Complementary 

Supply Chain 

Statistics

Data from Census, 

BLS, IRS, and other 

Sources
Past and Current Initiatives

•Support for international Trade in Value Added (TiVA) initiatives

–OECD-WTO

–Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

–North America TiVA Working Group

•Development of national TiVA statistics (in collaboration with the 

National Science Foundation)

–Research on extended supply-use tables (investigating the role of 

multinational corporations)

–Collaboration with Statistics Canada on a US-Canada regional supplyuse table

12/7/2023

6
National TiVA Statistics (initial release)

•In collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), BEA 

released prototype National TiVA statistics in December 2021

• Statistics include:

–Gross Exports by Exporting Industry and Destination Region

– Value Added Exports by Producing Industry and Destination Region

–Domestic Value Added and Imported Content

•Industry Detail: 81 Industries

•Regional Breakout: Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, and Rest-of-World

•Period: 2007-2020

7
National TiVA Statistics (latest update)

•Through ongoing collaboration with the National Science Foundation 

(NSF), BEA released updated prototype National TiVA statistics in March 

2023

• Statistics expanded:

– From 81 to 138 industries

– From five to seven countries/regions:

• Japan and “Rest of Asia and Pacific (excluding China and Japan)” added to five previously 

published regions (Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, and Rest of the World)

•Period: 2007-2021

8
TiVA Highlights

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Gross Exports by Industry

(trillions of dollars)

Goods Services

9
TiVA Highlights

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

Gross

TiVA

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Gross Exports and TiVA Exports by Industry

(trillions of dollars)

Goods Services Imports

10
TiVA Highlights

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

TiVA Exports by Industry

(trillions of dollars)

Goods Services Imports

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

2021

Imported Content of Gross Exports

(billions of dollars)

Canada

China

Europe

Japan

Mexico

Rest of Asia and Pacific

Rest of World

11
Looking Forward

•Active TiVA Projects

–Core TiVA Project

–ESUT Multinational Extension

–US-Canada Regional SUT

•Next steps for global supply chain research:

–New unit focused on supply chain statistics

–Additional positions and resources

12/7/2023

12
Looking Forward: Increased Granularity

• Expanded industry detail

– Expand annual 138-industry tables to include full suite of input-output products

– Produce annual 400-industry input-output products (including TiVA)

– New 400-industry tables set stage for possibility of GDP by industry statistics at this level of 

detail

• Expanded country detail

– Expand TiVA statistics beyond the seven regions currently covered (Canada, China, Europe, 

Japan, Mexico, Rest of Asia and Pacific, Rest of World)

– Looking for feedback on where to expand...

12/7/2023

13
Looking Forward: Increased Timeliness

• Accelerate production of quarterly Gross Output by Industry statistics to be released 

concurrently with the second estimate of GDP

– Release at 60 days after the end of the reference period (versus current 90 days)

– A prerequisite for a similar acceleration of GDP by Industry statistics

• Begin publication of quarterly supply-use tables

– Unpublished tables used in production of GDP by industry statistics

– Additional resources needed for methodology and system improvements and regular prerelease review

– Foundation for quarterly TiVA statistics

12/7/2023

14
Looking Forward: Special Projects

• Integrate the supply-use framework with the industry level production account (ILPA)

– Decomposition of value added into capital and labor services

– Decomposition of capital services by type of asset

• Constant-dollar supply-use tables

– Provides a foundation for real TiVA statistics

• Hybrid TiVA model 

– Expand regional SUT beyond US and Canada

– Incorporate data from OECD-WTO TiVA database

• Begin producing separate prices for imported intermediate inputs and domestically 

produced intermediate inputs

12/7/2023

15
Looking Forward

•Active TiVA Projects

–Core TiVA Project

–ESUT Multinational Extension

–US-Canada Regional SUT

•Next steps:

–Increased Granularity

–Increased Timeliness

–Special Projects

12/7/2023

16
Thank you!

Tom Howells

301.278.9586

thomas.howells@bea.gov

12/7/2023

17