MAPPING GLOBAL VALUE CHAIN POSITION AND GAINS IN ASEAN+3
VIGNESWARI PALANIMUTHU, NORMAZ WANA ISMAIL & CHAKRIN UTIT School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Corresponding author: nwi@upm.edu.my
Keywords:
Global value chain (GVC); ASEAN+3; forward and backward linkages; technology highmanufacturing; regional trade integration
Abstract
Despite three decades of deepening global value chain (GVC) integration in ASEAN+3, critical questions persist whether participation translates into sustainable economic gains or merely reinforces dependency on foreign intermediates. Traditional trade statistics obscure the actual domestic value retained and foreign content embedded in exports. Moreover, heterogeneity in technological positioning, whether countries occupy upstream (input-supplying) or downstream (assembly) positions, remains poorly understood, limiting effective upgrading strategies. This study addresses these gaps by examining the structure, technological composition, and gains of GVC participation in ASEAN+3 manufacturing sector. Using World Bank GVC indicators for 2000–2024, the analysis disaggregates participation into forward and backward linkages and applies a visual-mapping framework across major manufacturing industries. Findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in regional GVC integration, with most ASEAN+3 economies, particularly Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, dominated by backward linkages, reflecting deep reliance on foreign intermediates for export production. At the same time, upstream economies such as China, Indonesia, and Japan exhibit higher forward linkages, contributing to regional production networks as intermediate input providers. High-technology GVC trade accounts for over half of the region’s manufacturing participation, yet domestic value gains remains uneven. The forward–backward gains ratio shows that positive net value retention is concentrated in upstream economies, while downstream assembly-oriented countries attain limited domestic value. The study provides a technology-disaggregated visual assessment of ASEAN+3 GVC structure in the manufacturing sector. It offers policy insights to strengthen domestic value creation, upgrade strategies, and improve supply chain resilience in a rapidly evolving global trade environment.
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Accepted Date:
18 January 2026
Revised Date:
26 March 2026
Received Date:
18 January 2026
Published Online Date:
23 September 2026