International trade and industrial upgrading in the apparel commodity chain

This article uses a global commodity chains perspective to analyze the soci al and organizational dimensions of international trade networks. In linkin g international trade and industrial upgrading, this article specifies: the mechanisms by which organizational learning occurs in trade networks; typi cal trajectories from assembly to OEM and OEM export roles; and the organiz ational conditions that facilitate industrial upgrading moves such as the s hift from assembly to full-package networks. The empirical focus is the app arel industry, with an emphasis on Asia. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.