全球化與自由化之後的台灣石化業

The Petrochemical Industry in Taiwan's Post-Liberalization Economy

瞿宛文(Wan-Wen Chu)

《台灣社會研究季刊》 44期 (2001/12) Pp. 13-47

https://doi.org/10.29816/TARQSS.200112.0002

摘要

自1980年代後期以來，台灣內外環境皆有重大的變化。對石化業而言，因其已具競爭力，貿易自由化的影響並不負面，出口比例之增幅遠大於進口。影響較大的是政府對國內市場去管制化的部分，亦即中油和有化、並取消中油對煉油以及輕油裂解的壟斷權，以及放寬對資本流動的限制。
國內市場秩序因此全面重整，成為台塑與中油分別率領兩大陣營分庭抗禮的局面。再則石化廠商在國內設廠的難度已大幅提高，因此全球化就成了廠商成長的重要途徑之一，在過去十多年內，國外投資之規模已經達到與在國內投資相當甚至超過之地步。而若與以前相比較，國內投資在這段期間成長更快，而這增長大部份是由大陸市場的成長所推動。
產業政策的角色為何？修正學派認為，落後國家可運用產業政策將產業結構當作策略目標來經營，以催生新興產業、重整成熟產業、加速結構轉型與升級。台灣在政治與經濟轉型之際，產業政策架構已有所轉型，在扶植新興產業部分，仍維持發展型國家作法，但在對待如石化業之成熟產業部分，則轉向去管制化模式。但因地緣政治與民主政治的共同作用，這去管制化是一糾結並背離理性政策原則的過程。
全球化與自由化確實會給國家干預能力諸多限制，但本文顯示，既使在自由化與全球化之後，國家仍控制諸多政策工具，如自然資源的分配權與補貼措施等，這些都對石化業的國內生產活動有重大的影響，亦即這些政策的合理性與前瞻性，對於產業的發展具關鍵性作用。

關鍵字

石化産業 ； 全球化 ； 自由化 ； 産業政策 ； 去管制化

並列摘要

In the last decade, liberalization, globalization and democratization had transformed the Taiwanese economy and affected the functioning of the industrial policy apparatus. This paper studies how these changes have impacted on the development of Taiwan's petrochemical industry.
The study finds that trade liberalization has helped the industry’s growth, but the deregulation of the domestic market has made great impact. The CPC would no longer hold monopoly power over the oil product and the upstream petrochemical feedstock markets. The formidable Formosa Plastic Corporation has entered in a big way. The market structure has changed into a semi-duopoly in which the CPC-led coalition faces the FPC. Democratization and social changes have made it much more difficult for petrochemical firms to set up new plants inside Taiwan. Thus, outward investment becomes an integral part of the firm's strategy. In the past decade, the amount of outward investment, mostly in the advanced countries, is estimated to be equal to or even greater than that of inward investment. Recently, more and more firms plan to invest in Mainland China, presenting policy dilemma for the government.
According to the revisionist theory, industrial strategy could be an important policy variable for the LDCs. Managing changes in the industrial structure could facilitate necessary transformation and upgrading. In Taiwan, the state maintained the developmental tendency in terms of promoting growth industries, but switched to the deregulation mode when dealing with mature industries. However, due to geopolitical considerations and domestic political factors, the deregulation process had been problematic.
Globalization does impose constraints on industrial policy. However, the state still retains many policy instruments, which could greatly influence the profitability of the firm's investment. Thus, the state still retains the power and hence the responsibility to promote economic development.

並列關鍵字

Taiwan's petrochemical industry ； globalization ； liberalization ； industrial policy ； deregulation

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