New world consumers

Will a shopping spree in the rest of the world change American views on trade?

Published May 19, 2008 6:55PM (EDT)

EETimes quotes Malcolm Penn, chairman and CEO of the market intelligence firm Future Horizons, who summarizes why he thinks the global semiconductor chip market may rebound from a slow start this year:

"Trade is less dependent on advanced economies because the purchasing power of the consumer has gone up dramatically in the emerging economies," Penn said. Although consumers in emerging markets lack the purchasing power of developed countries, "the numbers double when it comes to these economies. We are definitely seeing a huge demand coming up from these regions," he added.

How the World Works wonders if negative sentiment about trade in the United States will change when consumers in the world's emerging economies replace American shoppers as the engine of the global economy.


By Andrew Leonard

Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. On Twitter, @koxinga21.

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