Printing Imports Gaining Ground; New Study Asks “Can the U.S. Commercial Printing Industry Rise to Meet 'Offshore' Competition?”
Meet the newest competitor to the U.S. commercial printing industry: non-U.S. printers. The U.S. trade surplus in printed matter has declined 38% since 2003, and the deficit with China alone was more than $500 million in the first half of 2004. Strategies for Management's new study, “A Critical Look at Offshore Printing,” takes a serious and objective look at the dynamics and drivers of this latest competitive challenge to domestic printing operations. The report offers recommendations and insights about successfully navigating and finding opportunities in this more dynamic marketplace.
(PRWEB) Harrisville, RI -- September 13, 2004 -- Strategies for Management,
Inc. has announced a new study, “A Critical Look at Offshore Printing.” The
project will be directed by leading printing industry commentator and forecaster
Dr. Joe Webb, and managed by Mr. Vince Naselli, formerly of TrendWatch Graphic
Arts.
A copy of a presentation about the project can be downloaded from
http://www.prweb.com/prfiles/2004/09/08/156536/Offshore_Printing_Presentation_www-sfminc-com.pdf
The
U.S. commercial printing industry has a new competitor: non-U.S. printers. In
the past, language, logistics, delivery time, and shipping costs all made
creating and coordinating cross-border print purchases difficult. For this
reason, Canada has been the U.S.'s only significant trade partner in print, with
the U.S. maintaining a surplus.
“The commercial printing industry has
long been concerned about the occasional forays of non-U.S. printers into the
U.S. market, but it was usually limited to coffee table books and other items
that had long shelf lives and could withstand long turnaround and shipping
times,” said Dr. Joe Webb, president of Strategies for Management. “It is no
surprise that things have certainly been changing, however identifying the
impact and direction of this change has been elusive. For this reason, a
thorough review of the drivers and dynamics of this change are
warranted.”
For the first half of 2004, the surplus in printed materials
trade declined by $75 million. That's a 38% decrease compared to 2003. About ten
years ago, the U.S. had a 72% surplus in books and printed matter; today it is
barely more than 16%.
New communications technologies, new overseas
plants, and reduction in trade barriers have conspired to erode natural
protectors of commercial printing. “The fact that this shift is happening should
not come as a surprise to anyone,” said Vince Naselli, principal of Naselli
& Associates. “Many of the same change agents that are restructuring
commercial printing at large are also changing the dynamics related to non-U.S.
print competition. What has not been well understood are the drivers of this
change, the impact they pose on operations today, and what alternatives must be
considered to turn a potentially negative situation into an opportunity for U.S.
print operations.”
As examples, Mr. Naselli said that “digital proofing
now allows quick review of materials by print buyers and managers who are
becoming more accustomed to remote workflows that are aided by advances in color
management technologies." Mr. Naselli also stated that broadband
telecommunications allow transmission of large graphic data files, shortening
proofing cycles and enabling 'time-shifting' where production work occurs
overseas while clients are sleeping on the other side of the world.
Dr.
Webb added that trade agreements such as NAFTA, the European Union, the World
Trade Organization, and other initiatives further reduce the barriers to trade.
“Trade is very important, because it raises the standard of living on both sides
of the transactions. But the sudden shock of dealing in a new trade environment
can be difficult for some businesses,” he said. “This report will discuss those
essential transitions and the opportunities they provide. Freer trade is
unstoppable; but the way the industry adapts to it is up to innovative CEOs and
shop owners. Having the right information is essential to their
decisions.”
This new study, now soliciting ”early-bird discount”
sponsorships, will cover the following issues:
-- Identifying the dynamics of
"offshore" printing
-- Understanding the economic issues affecting print
import and export volumes
-- Questions related to production
-- Economic
and structural enablers of non-U.S. printing
-- Profiles of selected non-U.S.
printers
-- What print buyers say about their use of “offshore”
printing
-- What U.S. printers need to do to compete/sell against non-U.S.
printers
-- Estimation of “offshore” printing's ultimate impact
The
project will include in its research effort:
-- Interviews with U.S. and
non-U.S. printers
-- Discussions with print buyers who use non-U.S.
printers
-- Conversations with print brokers and other print sales
representatives
-- Quantitative economic analysis and forecasts
-- The
latest government data, enhanced by SFM analysis and forecasting
-- Secondary
research, including the Internet and many other sources
The research for
the project begins on September 27, 2004. The report is planned to be released
on or about November 17, 2004.
This report is priced at $2,875. There is
a special pre-publication price of $1,975, a savings of more than 30% ($900).
The report can be ordered at http://store.yahoo.com/drjoe/offshore.html
For more
information, interested parties can e-mail Strategies for Management at e-mail
protected from spam bots, or can call Mr. Vince Naselli at 1-732-568-0316.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/9/prweb156536.htm