These are the most difficult products to make in the world: the Product Complexity Ranking is out
Every time you check your WhatsApp you are looking at the goods with the most complexity of the product. And we are not talking about the whole cell phone. Nor are we talking about the electronic components. Instead, the ranking of product complexity is led by the polarizing plate that prevents light from reflecting on your screen.
The Economic Complexity Observatory (OCE) prepares the product complexity ranking. This Index establishes which goods require the most knowledge and production skills to make. Although it may surprise you, polarizing material plates are at the top of the ranking. Here are the seven products that lead the ranking.
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Product complexity ranking
Sheets or foils of polarizing material
In the product complexity ranking, polarizing material sheets appear in first place. This type of material is the one used to eliminate glare on LCD screens, car dashboards, sunglasses and TV screens.
In 2021, US$7.8 billion of this product was sold in international trade, according to the ECO. The main exporters of the polarizing material sheets are South Korea, which participates with 38%; Japan, with 31%; China Taipei, with 17%; and the United States with 5%.
Cellulose acetate sheets
Cellulose acetate sheets rank second in terms of product complexity. They are a type of plastic film used in the photographic and packaging industries. They are also expanding their use in the textile industry.
In 2021, 1.33 billion dollars worth of cellulose acetate sheets were traded in the world. The main exporter is Japan, which accounted for 72% of total sales that year. It is followed by South Korea, with 11%; China Taipei and China, each with 5%, and Germany with 2% of total exports of this product, according to ECO data.
Photographic plates and films
Photographic plates and films rank third in product complexity. In addition to their obvious use in photography, they are used for astronomy and medical imaging.
Of this product, US$1.6 billion was sold in 2021. The United States was the main exporter with 39% of this total. Japan followed with a 19% share. China Taipei exported 16% of total photographic plates and films in 2021. Fourth place goes to Germany with 11%.
Metalworking machining centers
Machining centers are automated machines used for cutting, drilling and turning. Fourth place in the product complexity ranking goes to machining centers used for metalworking, with which all kinds of parts can be manufactured.
The leading exporter of this commodity is Japan, which sold $2.89 billion in 2021, 33% of all traded, a value that exceeded $8.61 billion, according to the ECO. The second largest exporter of metalworking machining centers was Germany, with a 20% share. It was followed by China Taipei, with 11%, and the United States and South Korea with 6% each.
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Theodolites and tachymeters
Theodolites and tachymeters are precision measuring instruments. The theodolite is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles, distances and slopes. The tachymeter measures angles, distances, relative positions and elevations of objects. These goods ranked fifth in terms of product complexity.
In total, $884 million of these products were traded in 2021. The leading exporter was Switzerland, with 31% of that total. In second place was Singapore, with a 15% share. It was followed by Germany, with 14%, and Sweden with 9%.
Gear cutting, grinding and finishing machines
The sixth place in the product complexity ranking goes to the machines with which gears are manufactured. This category includes cutting machines that shape the gears; grinding machines, which use a rotating abrasive wheel to refine the surface of the part; and finishing machines that give the gear a smooth finish.
Worldwide, $785 million was exported in 2021. The main seller was Germany, a country that participated with 55% of that total value. The next exporters were Japan, with 15%, and Switzerland with 14%, as can be seen in the ECO data. In fourth place was the United States, with 5%.
Oxometallic or peroxometallic acid salts
Oxometallic or peroxometallic acid salts occupy seventh place in the ECO product complexity ranking. This type of commodity is used as an input in the manufacture of pigments, synthetic resins and dyes.
In 2021, $2.39 billion worth of oxometallic or peroxometallic acid salts were traded internationally. The leading exporter was South Korea, with a 50% share of total exports. It was followed by China, with 19%, and Japan with 18%. The fourth largest exporter was the United States, with a 2.3% share.
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