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This paper investigates the dynamics of comparative advantage in agri-food products between Nigeria and the European Union (EU28). Using 'products mapping' approach based on trade balance index (TBI), Balassa index (BI), Lafay index (LFI) and other descriptive approaches, the findings show that Nigeria substantially recorded adverse TBI in trading both with the world and the EU28. The share of total Nigerian food exports and imports which the EU28 accounted for, declined from 72% and 40% to 37% and 27% between 1995 and 2017, respectively. The findings of both BI and LFI reveals that between 1995 and 2017, Nigeria's comparative advantages in trading in the world market declined from 12/46 to 8/46 food products. Similarly, Nigeria's trade with the EU28 comparative advantages reduced from 12/46 to 9/46 food products. Inversely, the food products that Nigeria has comparative disadvantages and negative TBI in trading with the EU28 rose from 31/46 to 35/46. For Nigeria, to boost its exports and competitiveness, especially in products that the country has natural advantages in producing, there is an urgent need for increasing investment and implementing policies on domestic agricultural and food value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the current position of the Russian Federation in the global market of agricultural products and foodstuffs with the accent on the comparative advantage of Russian agricultural exports in relation to specific regions and states. The key purpose of the research is to classify the most significant changes in the structure of Russian agricultural exports. The results show that the structure of Russian trade is changing continuously and evolving along with the process of economic transformation and trade liberalization. Exports become less diversified and are concentrated in a few segments. From the perspective of comparative advantage, cereals, fish and vegetable oils are the segments of Russian exports which become more significant. The comparative advantages of Russian exports are strengthening mostly in the case of African, Asian and CIS countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border inspections by developed nations are an essential export barrier to developing countries. Import refusals, in particular, not only exhibit dynamic impacts on exporters' performance in the refused destination but may also spill over into exports toward third markets. Using a panel structural vector autoregression model, the complete dynamics of China's agricultural export in response to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) import refusals is estimated at the monthly level. Despite notable heterogeneities across sectors, negative and positive reactions that last mostly less than a year are revealed respectively for the quantity and price of China's exports to USA on average. The impact of idiosyncratic component dominates that of common component in the refusal shock, highlighting the sensitivity of exports to sector-specific border inspections. Relative to other refusal charges, larger export contractions tend to follow adulteration charges. The trade effect of FDA refusals spills over into other main export destinations of China. While non-adulteration charges result in trade deflections on average, a contagious export reduction is observed in most non-US markets. These results provide insights for exporters to make strategies with a focus on specific sectors, charges, third markets and especially on the short run to cope with import refusals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]