Problems of production and trade data availability for tracking international competitiveness in the fiber optics and medical imaging industries

摘要

Abstract: The medical imaging and fiber optics industries are among the most advanced and internationally competitive of all U.S. industries. Because of the importance of such high-technology industries to the economic health of the nation as a whole it is especially important that industry and government analysts have access to timely, accurate, and useful information which permit them to track the production and trade of products in these industries. However, problems of production and trade data availability for the medical imaging and fiber optic industries make it difficult for the analysts to accurately measure and compare changes and shifts in productivity and trade in these important industries. !6