The RCEP versus Friend-shoring: The Politics of Industrial Chain Integration in the Asia-Pacific Electronic Components Industry

Abstract

This study explores how the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and U.S.-led “friend shoring” affect the supply chain of electronic components in the Asia-Pacific region. The study of electronic components as strategic intermediate products explores how RCEP can promote industrial integration in the region and how member states (especially ASEAN economies) can deal with the increasing tension between economic integration and geopolitical competition between China and the United States. The study adopts a qualitative comparative political economy approach, combined with policy text analysis, descriptive trade data analysis and semi-structured interviews with eight experts.

The results of the study show that RCEP promotes regional integration mainly through tariff reductions, cumulative rules of origin, trade facilitation and broader institutional coordination. These mechanisms reduce institutional barriers and strengthen existing production networks, rather than lead to immediate structural changes. In contrast, U.S.-led friend shoring leads to selective adjustments rather than comprehensive decoupling. The study concludes that the regional supply chain is characterized by the coexistence of rule-based integration and reorganization driven by security factors. The study suggests that RCEP member states should deepen rule enforcement, customs coordination and regional production connectivity, while enhancing resilience in the context of increasingly complex geopolitical uncertainty.