In: Economics
The process of making a car in North American involves an exceptional amount of cross-border interaction. To sketch out the production of a $20, 000 car:
(a) A company in Pittsburgh mines $5, 000 worth of steel from iron they mine themselves
(b) A company in Toledo makes $1, 000 worth of glass from silica they mine themselves
(c) A company in Akron makes $500 worth of tires from rubber they buy from Cote d’Ivoire for $5.
These inputs are purchased by a company in Detroit who also has affiliates in Northern Mexico and Canada. They
(a) Make $3, 000 worth of upholstery and chairs in Mexico
(b) Pay Canadians $500 to make sure the car seems generally agreeable
The Detroit company then sell the car to their (independently owned) dealer for $20, 000. The dealer finally sells it to a customer in New York for $25, 000. At the last minute, the salesman gets the customer to get an undercoat for $1,000 because, you know, it’s a good idea what with the road salt.
What was contribution to US GDP from the car? For each company involved, what is the value-added?