(Antràs, 2020) argues that whereas in the 1990s it was profitable to fragment production processes, now computerization allows the automation of human tasks, reduces labor costs, and substitutes the ...offshoring of certain activities. We analyze imports from six developed countries sourced from developing countries to study this hypothesis. We find a decline in imports of products from sectors characterized by low wages and routine tasks, therefore at risk of automation. Moreover, imports rose within sectors known for having a significant potential for offshoring until 2001, followed by a subsequent decline. Labor-replacing tasks technologies are changing the comparative advantages of developing economies.
•Offshoring was profitable in the 90s, but now computerization and automation are.•In developed countries, the imports of routine-task products have declined.•The labor-replacing technologies are changing developing countries’ comparative advantages.
This study aimed to evaluate the specialization pattern in international trade in the state of Maranhão, identifying the most dynamic productive sectors in the period between 1999 and 2016. In this ...sense, the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (IRSCA) indicator was calculated, as well as the Intra-industry trade index (IIT), the Industry Concentration of Exports (ICS), and the Import Coverage Ratio (IC). The results of the calculations of the RSCA and the IIT indicate that the state has two competitive sectors in the international market: common metals and chemicals. In addition to these indicators, the ICS indicated that Maranhão has an export basket concentrated in a few sectors, with little diversification, and the IC pointed out that the footwear and leather, textiles and metals are the sectors that most exceed imports in relation to the exported value.
In recent years, revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index has been widely considered by researchers in all fields of science. This index, which was introduced by Ballassa, is an appropriate ...indicator for calculating the relative advantage of a country in production of a particular product or scientific specialization in different countries. Nevertheless, due to the nature of bibliometric data such as the number of documents and citations, there are often minor limitations in the calculation of RCA in scientometrics. This note seeks to outline these limitations.
Maize has attracted the attention of local governments due to its high yield potential and economic prospects, but the strategic value of this commodity has not been specific to particular locations. ...Therefore, this study aimed to assess degraded land suitability and determine the regional comparative advantages for maize development in the Gorontalo sustainable agriculture areas. The suitability class was assessed using Automatic Land Evaluation System software, while comparative advantages were determined using input-output and regional analysis. The input-output analysis was based on maize farming data from interviews with 80 farmers. This study also employed location quotient, specialization index, and localization index analyses based on maize, rice, and soybean production data for 2014, 2016, and 2018. The results showed that land degradation caused by soil erosion was dominated by moderate, heavy, and very heavy categories. Most of the actual land suitability for maize was classified as marginal suitable (S3) but became very suitable (S1) and moderately suitable (S2) after the limiting factors were improved. Furthermore, maize was profitable for the land suitability classes of S1, S2, and S3, and the commodity was most concentrated in Mootilango District. Based on the results, land management recommendations followed a pattern of recommendation I > II > III > not recommended.
There are three major applications (portable, stationary, transportation) of hydrogen energy (HE), and each application play a unique and important role in the sustainable development of energy ...system. In different regions within a country, different applications of HE are preferred. This paper therefore explores the process to decide the optimal region to develop each of the three subtypes of HE applications. To this end, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a fuzzy Technique the Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method are used in the present study. Based on a literature review and in-depth interviews with officers, experts, the managers of HE-related enterprises, and consumers, the present study comes up with two selection criteria, namely, the acceptance on the applications of hydrogen energy (i.e., market entry barriers and customer's acceptance), and the integrity of hydrogen energy industrial chain on three applications (i.e., production stage, distribution stage, and marketing stage). This paper uses a case study to explore the functioning of three applications of hydrogen energy in the industrial, cultural and restricted residence regions. Four main findings emerges from this study: (1) the market structure of the portable, stationary and transportation application of HE should be pure competitive, oligopolistic, and monopolistic competition respectively; (2) the customer's acceptance for different applications is different, due to different neighborhood concerns about the quality of life; (3) the cost and benefit of different applications depend on different factors, including government policy, technological improvements and social preferences; (4) in order to promote all HE applications, the process to decide the optimal region to develop a specific HE application depends on the comparative advantages of the application.
•Optimal multiple selections process for fostering applications of hydrogen energy were explored.•One of the selection criteria is the acceptance of the applications of hydrogen energy.•The other selection criterion is the integrity of hydrogen energy industrial chain.•The optimal solutions depend on the comparative advantages of different applications and regions.
This paper presents a review of the literature regarding the State intervention in economic development, establishing a typology that identifies three basic forms: guardian, facilitator, and ...entrepreneur. These forms differ according to market levels and areas of intervention and in relation to how much they adapt or challenge their given comparative advantages. From this typology, two cases of economic growth guided by exportation and trade opening with different economic outcomes are analyzed (Finland and Chile from the sixties and seventies, respectively, until the mid-nineties). Thus, this paper traces the evolution of state intervention in the countries, and identifies the differences that led to such different economic performance.
The discernment of trade competitiveness and complementarity findings holds crucial implications for policymakers, facilitating the formulation and implementation of strategies conducive to fostering ...economic growth. This study aims to determine the latest level of competitiveness and complementarity of the agricultural trade between Malaysia and China. This investigation uses quantitative research methodologies to draw upon data extracted from the UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database, specifically employing the HS2012 (HS12) classification system from 2017 to 2019. The empirical findings illuminate significant trends. China displays a pronounced comparative advantage in exporting agricultural products classified by HS12 items 05, 13, and 16, whereas Malaysia exhibits a pronounced comparative advantage in exporting HS12 items 14, 15, 18, 19, and 21. The examination of trade dynamics unveils that HS12 item 07 demonstrates a complementary relationship in terms of China’s exports and Malaysia’s imports, while HS12 items 14, 15, and 19 exhibit complementarity from the perspective of Malaysia’s exports and China’s imports. The trade intensity index (>1) substantiates the profound interconnectedness characterizing bilateral agricultural trade ties between the two nations. The investigation uncovers inter-industry advantages within HS12 items 06, 07, 11, 14, and 16, juxtaposed with intra-industry advantages specifically about HS12 item 23. The findings provide evidence of the inherent comparative advantages prevalent within diverse agricultural product categories. Consequently, this study not only aids policymakers but also furnishes traders within Malaysia and China with strategic insights, thereby facilitating the development of plans to augment the competitive prowess within their respective agricultural sectors.
The purpose of this article is to determine the level of competitiveness of agri-food products in South East European (SEE) countries within the processes of European Union (EU) and regional ...integration as well as to find the factors that determine agri-food competitiveness. This article uses the revealed comparative advantages (RCAs) index to find the level of comparative advantage of agri-food products. Additionally, a model for identifying the determinants of the SEE agri-food comparative advantage was constructed and estimated. The results show that all SEE countries (except for Albania) have comparative advantages in the agri-food sector as part of the global market. Also, the estimation of the model shows that partial productivities in agriculture have a positive impact on comparative advantage while gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has a negative impact. This article makes a useful review of competitiveness of agri-food sector in SEE countries and determines which factors are significant for an RCA index. This is essential for policymakers to identify what determinants improve or degrade competitiveness of the agri-food sector in SEE countries.
Purpose
Comparative advantage is an important indicator in the analysis of international trade flow; however, in empirical studies on agriculture it is often neglected. The purpose of this paper is ...to analyse global comparative advantage in the European Union (EU) wine industry and to test the duration and stability of trade indices.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies the theory of comparative advantages by using the Balassa indices to European wine trade (based on the 16 biggest producers) data from the period 2000-2013. Moreover, it applies stability and duration analysis on comparative advantages calculated.
Findings
Results suggest that Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are the highest ranked European wine producers in the world market and have the largest comparative advantages. However, duration and stability tests indicate that trade advantages have weakened for the majority of these countries. The paper discusses a number of reasons for this downturn, including changes to Common Agricultural Policy wine regulation, economic crisis, and the rise of New World wine producers.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper is that it applies the theory of comparative advantage to top wine exporters in the EU. The paper also makes valuable contributions to the wine literature by analysing the duration and stability of comparative advantage in the global wine trade. Moreover, the identification of industry-specific causes for changing patterns in comparative advantage in the EU might be important to the wine industry.
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