• The United States continues to be the leading producer of high-tech products, responsible for over one-third of total OECD-country production. However, its leadership is being challenged by Japan, which increased its share of OECD production of high-tech products during the 1980s and early nineties. (For more information see: Share of World Markets

• The market competitiveness of U.S. high-tech industries varies by industry. Of the six industries that form the high-tech group, three U.S. industries-those producing scientific instruments, drugs and medicines, and aircraft-gained global market share during the 1980s and maintained that market share into the early 1990s. (For more information see: Global Competitiveness of Individual Industries.)

• Despite a domestic focus, U.S. producers are important suppliers of high-tech products in overseas markets. U.S. producers led all other countries in high-tech exports in 1981 and 1982. Japan's exports of high-tech products surpassed the United States and Germany in 1983 and continued to lead by varying margins through 1992. (For more information see: Foreign Markets.)

• Of the six industries that form the high-tech group, in 1992 Japan led the world in exports of communication equipment, computer equipment, electrical machinery, and in exports of scientific instruments. The United States was the leading exporter in only one high-tech industry-aircraft. (For more information see: Industry Comparisons.)

• By the mid-1980s, U.S. high-tech exports failed to keep pace with U.S. imports of high-tech products producing persistent annual trade deficits through 1992. Trade in computer and office equipment shows the greatest deficit of all the high-tech areas. Nevertheless, three of the six high-tech areas continue to show trade surpluses: aircraft, pharmaceuticals, and scientific instruments. (For more information see: U.S. Trade Balance.)

• The United States is the world's largest national market for high-tech products, and U.S. demand for high-tech products was increasingly met by foreign suppliers during the 1980s and into the early 1990s. Import penetration of U.S. high-tech markets was deepest in the computer industry. Foreign suppliers also gained market share in the other industrialized countries, including Japan. Still, as of 1992, Japan continues to be the most self-reliant among the major industrialized countries. (For more information see: The Home Market.)

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