Reply #47: I understand where you are coming from, but the definition of "export" [View All]

[pampango]

at the WTO website indicates that they use the country of origin or manufacture, not where the corporate headquarters is located. In your example they would consider toys manufactured in China for Mattel as Chinese exports and as imports to the US or Europe or wherever the toys were sold. That's one of the reasons that our official trade deficit with China is so large. When US companies, e.g. Mattel, Dell, and a host of others, set up shop there then send the goods to the US or some other country, it counts as exports from China and imports to the US or other receiving country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade

Terms such as exports, jobs, and inflation still have meaning. They just need to be redefined to reflect modern realities. If we are going to talk about our economy, international trade, immigration, etc. we have to have accurate terms and statistics we can use. Otherwise, any discussion degenerates into emotion without any way to discuss it objectively.

Do you know of a source for a definition of "exports" and "imports" that relies on the location of the corporate headquarters?