During the past decade or so, there has been a sharp increase in international trade in parts and components. Today, more and more products manufactured by international corporations have parts and components made in many countries. The reason is to minimize production costs. For example, the motors of some Ford Fiestas are produced in the United Kingdom, the transmissions in France, and clutches in Spain; the parts are assembled in Germany for sale throughout Europe. Similarly, Japanese and German cameras are often assembled in Singapore to take advantage of cheaper labor there.