Examining the interplay between agri-food and trade competitiveness: A review of literature

Ajmani, Manmeet (2023): Examining the interplay between agri-food and trade competitiveness: A review of literature.

Abstract

Every nation strives to establish its competitiveness in the global agri-food trade. However, defining and quantifying this concept remains a challenge, lacking a universally accepted description or a consolidated metric. Among the prevalent gauges in international research are the Balassa index and its adaptations (such as revealed trade advantage, revealed competitiveness, normalized revealed comparative advantage, and revealed symmetric comparative advantage), alongside diverse indicators tied to exports and imports (like the Grubel-Lloyd index or trade balance index). This comprehensive literature review identifies these metrics and highlights key determinants for bolstering competitiveness in agri-food trade. Foremost among these factors is the presence of supportive legislation and effective trade policies, followed by the production of higher value-added and more sophisticated goods, as well as efficient and profitable manufacturing processes. While the European Union (EU) and its member states feature prominently in the studied materials, the analysis extends to encompass candidate countries and significant EU trade partners including Canada, China, and ASEAN nations. As such, several of these insights could potentially be applied more broadly.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Agri-food trade, trade competitiveness, international trade
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F13 - Trade Policy ; International Trade Organizations; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F17 - Trade Forecasting and Simulation; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O32 - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

References

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