Very ironic mentioning semiconductors, when it was the protectionist US-Japan Semiconductor Trade Agreement pushed by Reagan that propped up the American semiconductor industry, while leading to the decline of the Japanese industry
Thank you for drawing my attention to this slice of US foreign policy history w.r.t. to high-tech.
“At the insistence of the United States, in 1986 Japan agreed to limit its exports of semiconductors, mainly the "dynamic random access memory" (DRAM) chips, to America. These chips are used in high-tech consumer electronics equipment like computers and video cassette recorders. The agreement expires this July 1, and the Bush Administration thus soon must decide whether to renew it. Doing so would make Washington a hypocrite in its free trade efforts to open markets abroad for American products. The 1986 chip agreement, after all, restricts trade, ostensibly to help some American segments of the semiconductor industry. The agreement in fact has harmed American computer manufacturers, who have found themselves paying higher prices for computer chips. This makes American computer manufacturers less competitive and drives up computer prices for all Americans.” [by Bryan Johnson, published January 24, 1991 – 20 min read]
!! @ “high-tech consumer electronics equipment like […] video cassette recorders”
It would be an interesting couple of evening's research to compare and contrast the competitive rise of Japan in the 80's and the rise of China in the 10's and how the US reacted to both and how both reacted back.
The trade war with Japan in the 80's really helped Samsung jumpstart their DRAM business -- South Korean companies, Samsung and SK Hynix, account for 80% of global DRAM production today.
