31.   Faced with new competition and the high costs that cartels imposed within Japan, some of the best Japanese companies began shifting production overseas.

32.   For one thing, shifting production inherently adds to costs because new factories have to be reconfigured for new lines and increased output.

33.   Following other competitors, the privately owned company said it would shift production to less-costly plants overseas.

34.   Ford shifted some production of front seats to its plant in Chesterfield Township, Michigan.

35.   Geos were built in Japan until production was shifted to two joint-venture plants with Suzuki Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. in North America.

36.   Gruma then shifted production of the Ranchito brand to its facility in nearby McMinnville, Oregon.

37.   He said the company was trying to maintain American operations, but had shifted some production to other countries.

38.   He said the majority of applications certified to date in other states involve companies actually shifting production to Canada or Mexico.

39.   He said National will spend the next year shifting that production to newer chip-making plants in Greenock, Scotland, and Arlington, Texas.

40.   Hewlett-Packard is particularly vulnerable, however, because of the degree to which it has shifted PC production to contract manufacturers, many in Taiwan.