Because of rapidly rising East Asian standards of
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industry wages in Hong Kong are now 50 to 100 percent more than those
in Colombia, while wages in Korea and Taiwan are at least not signif-
icantly lower than Colombia's. Government export subsidies are non-
existent in Hong Kong; in Korea and Taiwan they seem to be no greater
than in Colombia. If, as is common, Colombians use air transport
whereas East Asians ship by sea, Colombians have a significant advan-
tage: they can land goods in New York for the same transport costs as
East Asians but at a saving of four weeks in transit time.