The Hidden Geography of Electronics: Rethinking Trade, Inputs, and Strategic Advantage

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Beneath the surface of debates about reshoring, tariffs, and supply chain resilience lies a deeper reality: Global electronics manufacturing is increasingly driven by the flow of inputs, not just the shipment of final goods.

Electronics manufacturing is not just global; it is globally interdependent. In 2023 (the most recent data available), electronics trade reached $4.4 trillion, accounting for more than 20% of total global merchandise trade. This figure reflects not only strong consumer demand for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles, but also the dense web of international transactions behind each finished product.

Electronic components such as semiconductors, circuit boards, connectors, sensors, and batteries now account for most trade in the electronics sector. This dynamic has accelerated in recent years, reflecting the growing complexity of both devices and supply chains.

In 2023, global trade in electronics inputs exceeded trade in finished electronics by more than $400 billion. As products become more technologically advanced, they require a larger number of specialized parts, many produced in only a handful of locations. The result is a supply chain that is highly fragmented, deeply layered, and tightly interconnected across borders.

This interdependence is structural. No country controls the entire value chain, and efforts to achieve “technological self-sufficiency” must reckon with the deep-rooted realities of global specialization. For companies and policymakers, understanding this hidden geography is essential. Resilience may depend less on isolation and more on how interdependence is managed.

Continue reading this article in the Summer 2025 issue of Community Magazine.