Ocean Trade and the Explosion of Global Commerce (1994)

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be direct but I think tomorrow morning the Hong Kong container ports handle 8 million containers every year. One hundred twenty six million dollars worth of freight. Much of it heading for America. FAA Oh shorts in New York one of the world's most prestigious toy stores. End of the line for container loads of toys that began their journey in Hong Kong and other Asian ports. It's 30 years ago. Toys cheap plastic and made in Hong Kong were first signs of a coming dominance of the Pacific Rim Asian economies. The Asian toys still dominate the U.S. market but like yeah we're going for a lot of it. Every time I walk through a toy shop I'm thinking of a new way to create a larger display area

or find a new niche or a new market. We will go anywhere we can to make a profit. Twenty seven year old David Chan is a new breed of Asian entrepreneur young and ambitious eager to profit from the growing global economy. He's senior executive from blue box toys in Hong Kong. With only 40 percent of current sales in the U.S. It's a market he's anxious to conquer. You knew you had time I thought this is on the loose I wonder whether or not a guy like what. You got it right. I mean this is really I think you're on the worse it will be boy that will ever be China. Let me tell you what I would like to know. I work on the packaging line. I started working seven years

ago when I was nine years old. Yeah A.J. makes toys at blue box in Hong Kong. She and millions like her in countries throughout the region. But the other reason for Asian economic success they make the consumer goods that flow along east west trade routes to every country on earth even in booming Hong Kong Liang and her fellow workers are cheap labor. But as the economy grows so do their expectations. Gosh. While he was up there in the beginning I was happy. But I'm not so happy now. I'm thinking of changing jobs. I like to make 6000 Hong Kong dollars a year. Well I'm the lucky one. Liang makes toys with plastics from Korea chemicals from America and paper from Japan.

Components shipped anywhere in the world assembled and then shipped out again. She when Liang and her fellow workers get too expensive. This factory will move the cheap container freight and cheap labor. The foundations on which ages economic power is built factories don't need to stay home anymore anywhere containers can reach assembly lines going down these boxes have changed the face of the world may have accelerated economic decline in the older industrial powers of the West. Birth nine the Hong Kong International Terminal C O C L envoy ready to say like a whole I thank you. They claim that you know that I would call it like everything.

It's day one on a 12 and a half thousand mile journey along the east west trade routes. It takes envoy to Taiwan Japan the US and Canada. Loading and unloading in major ports before returning again to Hong Kong. Exactly 35 days from now carrying up to 50 million dollars worth of trade envoy makes a sizable contribution to the growing trade deficit between Asia and America. Twelve hundred such ships now travel the world's sea lanes on average 35 leave Hong Kong every day 365 days a year.

Ocean Trade and the Explosion of Global Commerce (1994)

In 1950, the total value of global merchandise exports was $61.8 billion. By 2000, that number had increased to $6.45 trillion—over a hundred-fold increase. Exports kept growing in the new millennium, more than doubling to $15.3 trillion per year in the next decade (all figures in 2024 dollars). Why this explosion of global trade? Part of the answer was political. The U.S. led a global order that sought to facilitate international trade between capitalist countries. In addition to negotiating NAFTA in the 1990s, the U.S. spearheaded the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which provided a venue for member countries to negotiate terms and manage disputes. Additionally, in the late 20th century, many Communist countries (most prominently China) liberalized their economies, allowing for more entrepreneurial activity, foreign investment, and international trade. Technological developments were also significant. As shown in this episode of Seapower, aired in 1994 by Maryland Public Television, the widespread use of the shipping container along with advances in maritime and communications technology made it possible to profitably ship manufactured goods over vast oceans. The business trends illuminated in this excerpt have only intensified in the decades since this program was produced: for example, according to a 2025 report, “nearly 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are sourced from China.”

Seapower; 103; "Trade Winds, Trade Wars" | Maryland Public Television | This video clip and associated transcript appear from 04:51 - 09:52 in the full record.

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