Search

In this paper, we study the role of trade openness in the economic reallocation from the agriculture to the manufacturing sector in 34 sub‐Saharan African countries between 1970 and 2016. The results show that the long‐term evolution of trade openness negatively impacts the long‐run and the short‐run dynamics of structural change. Moreover, this impact goes through aggregate exports not aggregate imports. By breaking down global exports, we find that commodities exports have a negative impact while manufacturing exports positively impact structural change. These results are explained by the fact that, contrary to Asian countries, African countries have failed to put trade at the service of industrialisation by following the logic of comparative advantage. More precisely, they have failed to invest the revenues from commodities exports to improve the quality of infrastructure in order to remove the constraints on the economic relocation to labour‐intensive manufacturing activities. Unlike previous studies, we address the endogeneity problem by using a dynamic ordinary least squares method after a pooled mean group method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China‐Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) increased trade between China and Pakistan, however, it also swelled Pakistan trade deficit with China. The empirical findings of this paper suggest that CPFTA positively contribute to Pakistan exports to China and her imports from China but the increase in Pakistan imports was far greater than Pakistan exports after CPFTA. Resultantly, Pakistan's trade deficit with China increased and Pakistan's growth hampered. Constant market share analysis suggests that a better understanding of the Chinese market, efficient utilization of tariff lines and focus on products of the comparative edge are important for Pakistan to benefit from CPFTA. Otherwise, CPFTA is counterproductive for Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The study aims to identify the EU's and China's comparative advantage in reciprocal trade and indicate the relations between the structure of this trade and such advantage. Research method -- The study used Balassa's Revealed Comparative Advantage index (RCA), which shows the competitive position in the exports of particular commodities compared to a selected partner. The calculations were based on 2004--2020 data, obtained from the UN Comtrade Database. Results -- The results show that in the years under examination the EU-China bilateral trade followed a trend unfavourable for the EU (with an increasing negative balance). The most important commodities were machinery and equipment and they manifested a negative change for the EU. It meant that at the beginning of the analysed period (2004-2006) the EU had a comparative advantage in their exports, which was lost in 2007 and had not been regained by the end of the analysed years. Despite this change, machinery and equipment remained the dominant group of goods exported by the EU to China. Originality/value/implications/recommendations -- The answer to the question posed in the title is that in bilateral trade China makes better use of its comparative advantage in exports, while the European Union has the imports structure that is more compatible with its comparative advantage. The EU countries shape the structure of their imports more effectively and, in the vast majority of cases, they purchase goods that they are not competitive with. On the other hand, they definitely underperform as suppliers to the Chinese market, selling goods (mainly machinery and equipment) in which they ceased to be competitive years ago [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is an essential commodity used in the manufacture of various daily products and is highly competitive with vegetable oil. However, the palm oil competition is fierce and complex due to movement of palm oil trade. The study examined the determinant, stability, and duration of competitiveness in the global palm oil trade involving countries worldwide. This research was analyzed from 1996 to 2019 using descriptive analysis, panel regression, stability, and Kaplan–Meier tests. The results showed that palm oil supply in the global market is centralized with distributed demand. The competitiveness of palm oil based on revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and trade balance index (TBI) is similar to its suppliers globally. The positive factors that determine the competitiveness in the global palm oil trade are population and import of animal or vegetable fats and oils. GDP per capita and dummy RSPO negatively affect competitiveness. The stability and duration analysis showed that the global palm oil market is highly competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economic Administrative & Legal Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research background: In recent decades, services in international trade have been growing steadily in importance, and there has been strong growth in China's trade in services as a result of the 'opening up' policy. China has become the European Union's second biggest trading partner in services with the European Union (EU), being China's largest trading partner. The EU is one of the addressees of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, which creates opportunities and threads to the European Internal Market in services. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature and fulfil the research gap on the position of China in intra-EU trade in services. Methods: We identified the most important types of services offered by China to purchasers from the EU countries. By using the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) and trade balance (LFI) indices, we classified the Chinese exports to the EU Internal Market by types of services and by their trade position. Findings & value added: We found out that China might be perceived as a strong competitor for intra-EU trade in selected services, especially those concerning low-end service tasks, that use relatively low-skilled labour and are less knowledge- and capital-intensive. However, China's attitude is changing towards more sophisticated services for example R&D. It creates a need for a new approach to the EU economic policies (in terms of both protectionism and interventionism) in trade relations in services with China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to reveal the comparative advantage of the selected countries in olive oil industry. These selected countries are the main olive oil producers and mainly located in Mediterranean Seacoast. Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey will be the subject countries in this analysis and compared with each other in terms of their export performance and comparative advantage in olive oil industry globally. Olive oil industry has a volume of around 20 billion Euros every year. Design/methodology/approach: The data for the research was collected from mainly World Bank and trade ministries of subject countries. Revealed Comparative advantage Index (RCA) is used to compare the advantage of these countries in olive oil industry. These indexes found in this analysis will be added to the olive oil RCA indexes of these countries that are found in the previous researches. The obtained data were analyzed through RCA Index formula modeling. Findings:Consuming olive oil is increasing day by day over the world. The research results show that Turkey has comparative advantage in olive industry over Greece. Last few years, Turkey has improved its comparative advantage over Italy. Spain and Italy are the leading countries in olive oil industry in terms of comparative advantage. It has also been found that Turkey has consistently increase its advantage over the last decade. Practical implications: After the comparison of RCA indexes of Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey, it is found that higher amount of production of olive oil is not enough itself to improve the competitiveness of a country in olive oil market. Branding, packaging and marketing activities that are supported by research and development expenditures are highly important factors for a consistent competitive advantage in olive oil industry. Olive oil consumers are highly motivated on the packaging and label of a product when it comes to olive oil. They usually trust Mediterranean brands comparing to others. Originality/value: The study answers the advantages of selected countries in terms of olive oil performance in global markets. Export performance of olive oil is much likely to improve the competitiveness of a country rather than a country that produces high volume of olive oil. Production itself is not enough to increase competitiveness of a country in olive oil market.

Inequalities between regions frequently mean that some are highly competitive while others are neglected because they do not produce socially demanded goods. Nevertheless, in the framework of sustainable local development, each territory could engage in some economic activities even if other areas are better prepared for them, when these represent the best specialization in which the territory in question can engage in. The existence of a Second-Best Option (SBO) in a territory means successfully promoting one or more economic activities that allow a comparative advantage, which means generating significant added value with the transformation of products that incorporate knowledge, technology, and innovation. The main contributions of the theory of comparative value and of the SBO method are discussed. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used instead of just the latter, as it happens in economics. In the three cases studied, activities similar to SBO have been found, favoured by the following conditions: added value, innovation, infrastructure, and better access to markets.

The study makes a comparative analysis of Ethiopia and Asia/19 countries in the foreign trade of non-timber forest products between the periods of 2008-2018. The study focused on two commodity groups with a harmonized system of (HS) codes; HS409: Natural honey; HS130190: Natural Gums, resins, gum Arabic, and oleoresins. To assess the competitive advantage and disadvantage of Ethiopia in non-timber forest products foreign trade within Asia/19 countries, the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index, Relative Export Advantage Index, Relative Import Advantage Index, and Relative Trade Advantage Index. At the same time, Cross Relative Export Advantage and Cross Relative Import Advantage indicators were employed to test the competitiveness of Ethiopia with Asia/19 countries in the foreign trade of non-timber forest products. The study finding shows that Ethiopia experiences a comparative advantage both in a relative export and import advantage in the trade of non-timber forest products over the study period as compared to Asia/19 countries.

This paper examines the intensity of trade between Bangladesh and China along with analyzing sector level comparative advantage of 16 export sectors of Bangladesh and China in bilateral trade. The Trade Intensity and Balassa Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) indices of the 20 export sectors of Bangladesh and China are examined from 1995 to 2019 to achieve the research objectives. Bangladesh's trade strength with China shows that the country has a lot of space to expand its trade with China. The revealed comparative advantage analysis of 20 exports sector of Bangladesh and China exhibits that among those 20 sectors, Bangladesh reveals high comparative advantage over 5 sectors, moderate over 4 sectors, and comparative disadvantage over 11sectors of its export to China. Moreover, China reveals moderate comparative advantage over 8 sectors and comparative disadvantage over 12 sectors of its export to Bangladesh. Based on the empirical analysis and the literature, recommendations are addressed to improve the export sectors of Bangladesh.

Abstract Background Roosting in trees exhibits the instinct and widespread practice of the night enclosure system in indigenous village chickens (IVCs) of the tropics. This work reviews the predisposition of IVCs for night-time roosting in trees and summarizes the pros and cons of this natural behavior. It is largely focused on personal insights which were then refined further by informal discussions. Besides, literature was consulted to recapitulate the accidental observational study. Main topics Night-time roosting in trees although in most instances is performed by a small proportion of farmers, is a widely practiced night enclosure system in the tropics. Roosting in trees eliminates the labor and the cost needed to construct night enclosures. It reduces contact with soiled bedding materials and droppings, parasites, and pathogens, consequently, it improves the health status and welfare of the family flock. It enables IVCs to express their inbuilt behavior and to evade predators. It carries the legacy of the ancient chicken rearing system and it is eco-friendly practice. However, in the absence of protective structures such as fences, it exposes IVCs to nocturnal predators and theft. However, this can be circumvented using guarding dogs. Birds might be also affected by adverse weather, although they are thought to be resilient to such environmental changes. Conclusions The sustainability, economic feasibility, and welfare of IVCs roosting in a tree need to be assessed to make it a justifiable practice. This piece of work likely elicits research questions to conduct an in-depth study on the existing systems of using trees as night-time roosting sites for IVCs.

Sweet potato is a food crop that is easily found and easy to cultivate, can be used as a substitute good for rice and maize. This study aims to determine the competitive and comparative advantages of sweet potato farming and to analyze government policies and their relation to the competitiveness of sweet potato farming in the Karanganyar district. The data analysis method used is the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) method. The determination of the sample areas was carried out deliberately in the Tawangmangu, Ngargoyoso, and Jumantono Districts, Karanganyar Regency. The respondents were 60 farmers. The results showed that the private profit was IDR 22,459,017.68 and a PCR value of 0.49, then the social benefit is IDR 71,826,979.74 and a DRCR value of 0.23 which means that the sweet potato commodity also has a competitive and comparative advantage. The output policy parameter consists of an output transfer of –IDR 49,894,031.87 and an NPCO ratio of 0.48, which means output policy has not been effective, indicated by the low domestic sweet potato price. The Input policy parameters consist of an Input transfer value of –IDR 804,269.45, an NPCI ratio of 0.54, and a factor transfer value of IDR 278,199.64, which means Input policy has protection from the government, fertilizer subsidies, and non-tradeable Inputs subject to land tax. The Input-output policy parameters consist of a net transfer of IDR 49,367,962.06, an EPC value of 0.48, and an SRP value of -0.52, which means the Input-output policy has not been provided economic incentives, as a result, farmers spend higher production costs.

We develop a dynamic quantitative model of occupational choice and search frictions with multiple channels of intergenerational transmission (comparative advantage, social contacts, and preferences), and use it to decompose the occupational persistence observed in the UK. In the model, workers who choose their father's occupation find jobs faster and earn lower wages, which is consistent with patterns found in UK data. Quantitatively, parental networks account for 79% of total persistence. Shutting down parental networks or the transmission of preferences improves the allocation of workers, and thus yields welfare gains, while removing the transmission of comparative advantage generates welfare losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article develops an argument around the territorial resource. This notion constitutes the basis of a reflection on the development of territories and, more generally, an attempt to renew approaches to economic development. Such an approach naturally finds its place in the reflections concerning the South as much as those concerning the industrialized countries of the North. The creation of territorial resources is seen here as a means of creating a specific rent and generating new wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With China’s rise and active maintenance of maritime right, the United States has proposed cost imposition strategies against China. The cost imposition strategies are strategies in a long-term peace period, whose purpose is to enable the initiators to obtain comparative advantages under difficult conditions, and the means used include military and non-military means. In terms of cost, initiators need to bear the corresponding cost; in terms of consistency, it is necessary to maintain internal, external and temporal consistency; in terms of the results, there is uncertainty about whether the expected effect is achieved. Judging from the current situation and development trend, the U. S. policy towards China is still in the framework of the “cost-imposition strategy”. The scope of the strategy will be greatly expanded, and new elements will be added, and allies and partners will be more focused to make China pay a higher price with a common position. In this regard, China needs to layout in advance and actively respond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does comparative advantage explain legislators' support for trade liberalization? We use data on potential crop yields as determined by weather and soil characteristics to derive a new plausibly exogenous measure of comparative advantage in agriculture for each district in the United States. Evidence shows that comparative advantage in agriculture predicts how legislators vote on the ratification of preferential trade agreements in Congress. We show that legislators in districts with high agricultural comparative advantage are more likely to mention that trade agreements are good for agriculture in House floor debates preceding roll call votes on their ratifications. Individuals living in the same districts are also more likely to support free trade. Our analysis and results contribute to the literature on the political economy of trade and its distributional consequences and to our understanding of the economic determinants of legislators' voting decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative tourism is a very trendy special interest tourism in Bali. Unprofessional destination management can reduce tourism competitiveness. Through comparative and competitive advantages as a mediator, can determine the sustainability of alternative tourism. According to the World Economic Forum (2019) report, the level of tourism competitiveness in Bali, Indonesia, is ranked 40th out of 140 countries in the world. This study aims to examine the competitiveness of alternative tourism related to the attractiveness of ecotourism and spiritual tourism. The population is the manager of alternative tourism businesses related to the attractiveness of ecotourism and spiritual tourism. This study used a quantitative design based on positivism and the data were analyzed using the SEM – PLS approach. The results of the study show that (1) Ecotourism has a positive, but not significant, effect on competitiveness. (2) Spiritual tourism has a positive, insignificant effect on competitiveness. (3) Ecotourism has a positive and significant effect on comparative advantage (4) Ecotourism has a positive and significant impact on competitive advantage. (5) Spiritual tourism has a positive and significant effect on comparative advantage. (6) Spiritual tourism has a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage. (7) Comparative advantage has a positive and significant effect on competitiveness. (8) Competitive advantage has a positive and significant effect on competitiveness. (9) comparative advantage mediates the effect of ecotourism attractiveness on competitiveness. (10) Competitive advantage mediates the effect of ecotourism attractiveness on competitiveness. (11) Comparative advantage mediates the effect of spiritual tourism attraction on competitiveness. (12) Competitive advantage mediates the effect of spiritual tourism attraction on competitiveness. Theoretically, this research contributes to determining the competitiveness of alternative tourism through comparative and competitive advantages as a mediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Listy Cukrovarnicke a Reparske is the property of VUC Praha a.s. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Theoretical background: The growing importance of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the development of competences in selected areas of project management prompted the authors to conduct research on a group of 82 respondents working remotely on projects at the Project Management Institute Poland Chapter (PMI PC). Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to show the impact of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of competences in selected areas of project management. The study is theoretical and empirical in nature. The theoretical part shows the factors influencing the development of competences and the conditions of remote work. In the empirical part of the survey, employees' opinions on the impact of remote (online) work during the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of competences in selected areas of project management were presented. Five areas of project management were analysed, including: working time, communication, labour costs, risk and conditions for teamwork. Research methods: Literature review and critical analysis of web research. Factor analysis was used for statistical analyses. To isolate the analysed factors, the principal components method was adopted, and the VARIMAX procedure was used as the rotation method. Main findings: The conclusions of the research confirm the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on remote work, in particular on employee competences, work time and costs, motivation, effective communication and mutual relations between employees. The results of the research broaden the knowledge on the impact of various factors on remote work and the development of competences in selected areas of project management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Knowledge: International Journal is the property of Institute for Knowledge Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the evolution of non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries in the twenty-first century in terms of steel trade and aims to shed light on how emerging/developing countries have evolved since the early 2000s. For this purpose, the revealed symmetric comparative advantage index and the trade balance index were developed for the whole steel industry and some broad product categories. Further, multilevel analysis over time provided important insights into the catch-up dynamics in non-OECD countries, indicating how they have evolved in recent years. The macro-level analysis showed that there were considerable differences in patterns of comparative advantage and international competitiveness between OECD and non-OECD countries. In the twenty-first century, non-OECD countries certainly experienced a steady increase in steel production/exports; however, the results suggest that only a limited number of non-OECD countries improved their international competitiveness. Nevertheless, some seemed to have gradually gained their comparative advantage, albeit marginally. This implies that although the catch-up of non-OECD countries in the international steel market may be progressing gradually, it is still not enough. The micro-level analysis assessed the linkages between technology selection and export performance of major non-OECD steel-producing countries over time. Although the current catch-up of the steel industry in non-OECD countries is limited, the technology selection of steel firms in some countries in the twentieth century and Chinese steel firms' blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace technology selection in the twenty-first century have significantly impacted their catch-up progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the competitiveness of international orange trade over the period 1993-2018 based on global data. The paper uses the methodology of comparative advantages to analyse fresh orange and orange juice data. Results suggest that most competitive countries are focusing on processed orange trade. Although Brazil is the world's largest orange-producing country, it is not among the top 10 countries in the global orange fruit market, representing that it mainly focuses on processing. Results also suggest that there is no high concentration in the export market for fresh oranges, however, Spain's share is growing steadily, as well as South Africa and Egypt can be mentioned as emerging nations. With further analysis of the international orange trade, Egypt's comparative advantage over fresh oranges increased the most and had the highest results in recent periods followed by South Africa, Greece and Spain. By examining global orange juice trade, it is not surprising that Brazil had the largest comparative advantage, although its value is constantly declining. With a dynamic analysis of comparative advantages, a large decrease can be observed in the chance of survival of the advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dynamics between the trade imbalance and the comparative advantage of the factor endowment structure. • As one country becomes more capital-intensive, its wage level increases and the cost of capital relatively decreases. • An increase in the wage levels of developing countries eradicates the degree of the trade deficits of developed economies. • Employ panel GMM comprised of 157 developing countries over the period 1992–2017. This research looks to theoretically demystify the evolutionary patterns of trade imbalances between developing countries and developed countries from a unique perspective of the comparative advantage in the factor endowment structure of developing countries. For this purpose, we construct a theoretical model to illustrate the inherent dynamics between the trade imbalance and the comparative advantage of the factor endowment structure under a two-country setting (Part I). The model results in three propositions: (1) as one country becomes more capital-intensive, its wage level increases and the cost of capital relatively decreases. (2) The shift in the comparative advantage of the factor endowment structure from labor intensiveness to capital intensiveness in a developing country leads to a shrinkage in trade imbalance for the developed country. (3) An increase in the wage levels of developing countries eradicates the degree of the trade deficits of developed economies. To test those two conclusions, we employ panel GMM comprised of 157 developing countries over the period 1992–2017 (Part II). The empirical evidence is broadly consistent with the propositions demonstrated herein. Finally, we discuss the potential policy recommendations for policy makers according to our findings that the free international trade creates a win-win outcome and we propose further research directions (Part III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic generated an upsurge in demand for medical products. Trade policy changes, including export restrictions and import reforms, have led to a shortage of medical products. The World Health Organization has recommended countries to encourage local production and identify various import sources for medical products to ensure sustainable healthcare capacity to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and any similar events in the future. This study aims to examine the comparative advantages and competitiveness in producing medical products among top exporters. The contribution of this study is the ability to identify various import sources specific to developing countries. From the exporter's perspective, this study allows countries to recognize their existing competitive strengths in the medical products trade, allowing them to strategize and compete in the international markets of medical products. Using Balassa's revealed comparative advantage index, this study analyzes 25 primary medical product exporters, identifying several countries with a comparative advantage in producing medical products. Medicines are primarily dominated by high-income countries, including Switzerland and Germany, whereas middle-income countries, such as China and Malaysia, are more specialized in medical supplies, medical equipment, and personal protective products. This finding provides a basis for policy formulation that can facilitate the process of building a sustainable healthcare capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study aims to empirically investigate the export performance and competitiveness of leather and leather products in Pakistan during 2004-2019. This study obtained the data from the ITC and a mixture of "Revealed Comparative Advantage indices", such as RSCA, RCA, Vollrath, RMA, RTA and NEI have been utilized to analyze the extent of competitiveness and comparative advantage. The results of RCA, RSCA and Vollrath indices indicate a strong comparative advantage in the leather sector throughout the selected time span. The RMA index illustrates that Pakistan has the competitive advantage during 2004-2019. The RTA index also portrays a net comparative advantage in the leather sector. In addition, the findings of NEI depict that Pakistan continued the net-exporter of this sector during the selected period of time. The study suggests that Pakistan should reduce taxes and duties on imported machinery, fix the exchange rate, enhance research and development and target new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses a variant of the Revealed Comparative Advantage index to examine comparative advantages of the European Union (EU) countries in 254 research areas and their development from 1998 to 2018, focusing mostly on the split into the old and new EU members and their convergence. The results confirm that there has been convergence inside the groups as well as between the groups. EU researchers from different countries now publish papers in more similar research areas and the countries' research-area mix is more coherent than before. The EU has increased its comparative advantage in the majority of research areas in the field of Science and in almost all research areas in Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities in the last two decades. On average, the growth has been faster in new members than in old members. Science is still the dominant source of comparative advantage for the bloc, but Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities are set to challenge its lead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The main objective of the work was to analyze the competitiveness of avocados produced in Mexico during the study period from 1995 to 2019 in the world market, derived from the production surplus. Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodological design contemplated the use of trade competitiveness indicators at the level of importing world markets, the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index and the Normalized Revealed Comparative Advantage Index were calculated, data on avocado exports were analyzed as well as total agricultural exports made by Mexico to the world, and specifically to countries such as the United States, Canada and Japan. Results: The results obtained suggest that avocado production in Mexico is highly competitive at the international level. Study Limitations/Implications: The importance of making an analysis of the main avocado production variables was to locate the situation of products coming from Mexico with respect to the world situation. Findings/Conclusions: Internationally, Mexican avocado production stood out in first place, with 2.4 million tons and 1.3 million tons of avocado were destined for export in 2019, contributing more than 45% of the world export market. These exports represented a very significant percentage of avocado imports in countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Japan, Europe and Central America. Currently, 100% of the national requirements are satisfied with domestic production; likewise, world imports have increased 171.97% in the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gazdalkodas is the property of Herman Otto Intezet Nonprofit Kft. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We show that the descendants of ancient farmers may have an interest in marrying among themselves, and thus maintaining the gendered division of labour originally justified on comparative-advantage grounds by the advent of the plough, even after they emigrate to a modern industrial economy where individual productivity depends on education rather than physical characteristics. The result rests on the argument that, if efficiency requires the more productive spouse to specialize in raising income, and the less productive one in raising children, irrespective of gender, an efficient domestic equilibrium will be implemented by a costlessly enforceable pre-marital contract stipulating that the husband should do the former and the wife the latter. A contract may not be needed, however, if time spent with children gives direct utility, because an efficient equilibrium may then be characterized by little or no division of labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is ample evidence that diversified economies tend to show higher levels of economic and social development. Therefore, it is important to implement policies that promote greater economic diversification. These policies, however, must be accompanied by improvements in worker productivity levels, since this is one of the engines of economic growth. In this study, we seek to report on the current situation of the labor force in the agricultural, livestock, manufacturing and industrial sectors, which have been identified as the sectors with the greatest comparative advantages revealed by Gonzalez et al. (2018). To do this, we use data from the National Statis tics Institute’s 2017 household surveys, in order to be able to carry out a diagnosis of the labor force in these sectors that serves as an evaluation of the capacities already installed in these sectors and that eventually allow us to evaluate the capacities required in order to implement policies that promote sectors with revealed comparative advantages. The results show that the sectors analyzed present low educational levels and a precarious quality of employment, mainly in the agricultural sector. This implies that, in order to advance on the path of sustainable development, public policies must aim at greater investment in human capital, mainly in the productive sectors considered, and an improvement in the quality of employment, so that these are translated at higher levels of productivity.

The subject of the research is the analysis of the competitiveness and comparative advantage of the agricultural products and processed food products of Bulgaria on the international market. The study covers the period from 1998 to 2017. In order to measure the level of comparative advantage of the export and the degree of specialization in international trade RCA and GL indices have been used. The aim of or research was to identify products that have previously before the EU accession had, and still have, export potential. That is, the objective was to point the trend of changes in the foreign trade of processed food sector in the period before and after the EU accession in 2007. The results indicate that after joining the EU Bulgaria has changed its foreign trade structure. The decrease of exports and increase of imports of processed food sector products requires a comprehensive export strategy in order to strengthen its competitiveness.

This research conducted a structural and analysis of the foreign trade position of the Republic of Serbia, with special emphasis on agricultural and food products, in order to provide detailed information regarding current trends, measuring the level of comparative advantage and international position in the world and European markets. The obtained results indicate the elements that have a limiting effect on the development of this type of production. Using the RCA Index methodology and the Lafay's Index, the link between the food industry and the character of industrial exchange was established, which is measured by the Grubel Lloyd's Index. The structure of exports was analyzed from the aspect of factor intensity, so the existence of negative values of a comparative advantage and intensive goods was confirmed. Finally, we believe that the results obtained have contributed to the unraveling of available instruments, the eventual efficient use of which would help rural development, and thus the overall economic development of the Republic of Serbia.

Rural tourism is an interpretation of the development of culture-based and environmentally sustainable tourism and involves various stakeholders including local communities. Data were analyzed using the SEM-PLS, sample Research respondents numbered 192 including farmers, tourism industry players, village leaders, NGOs, academics and the government. The findings of this study are that community involvement in sustainable rural tourism has a positive and significant impact on efforts to build a comparative advantage of village tourism. Meanwhile, community involvement does not have a significant effect on efforts to build competitive advantage. Government involvement in sustainable rural tourism has no significant effect on efforts to build a comparative advantage of village tourism. Meanwhile, government involvement has a positive and significant effect on efforts to build a competitive advantage in rural tourism. The involvement of the private sector and non-governmental organizations has a positive and significant effect on sustainable rural tourism and the competitive advantage of rural tourism. Meanwhile, the involvement of the private sector and non-governmental organizations has no significant effect on the comparative advantage of rural tourism. The role of the Government involvement, the private sector must be linked with the non-governmental organizations self-help so that it has a positive impact towards the development of sustainable rural tourism.

In this paper, I review evidence on changing global specialization in labor-intensive exporting. Production of apparel, footwear, furniture, and related products are how many low-income countries first enter export manufacturing. Just as China’s rise as a powerhouse in these goods supplanted a role previously occupied by the East Asian Tigers, the world may again be on the cusp of significant change in where labor-intensive goods are produced. China’s prowess in these sectors peaked in the early 2010s; its share in their global exports, while still substantial, is now in decline. Mechanisms through which the global economy may adjust to China’s graduation into more technologically sophisticated activities include expanded labor-intensive export production in other emerging economies and labor-saving technological change in products currently heavily reliant on less-educated labor. Available evidence suggests that the first mechanism is operating slowly and the second hardly at all. As a third mechanism, China may in part replace itself by moving labor-heavy factories out of densely populated and expensive coastal cities and into the country’s interior. Such a transition, though still in its infancy, would mirror the decentralization of manufacturing production in the U.S. and Europe, which occurred after World War II.

For the Belt and Road Initiative, “extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits” is the basic principle, and the competitiveness heterogeneity is an important condition for cooperation. Based on the complex network theory, this paper constructs a complex network model of global value chain (GVC) division of labor system by using the Multi-Regional Input-output (MRIO) table, and reveals the variation trend of competitiveness of industrial sectors and economies on the GVC network by the National Competitive Advantage Index (NCAI). The results verify the effectiveness of BRI, and help countries along the B&R route to explore their comparative advantages and cooperation prospects with other countries. The research also provides a direction and reference for China to better implement the Initiative.

This study attempts to explore the export potential and competitive position of Pakistan's meat sector versus the World's leading meat exporters using RCA scores of 26 meat products lines at HS 6-digit code from 2009-2018. The study also explores the untapped Halal Meat export potential for UAE and Saudi Arabia by using indicative trade potential. The findings of the study reveal that Pakistan possesses strong comparative advantage in low value-added bovine meat products while has a weak comparative advantage in high value-added categories of the same product line against its leading competitors like Brazil, USA, Netherlands and Australia. Poultry comes out to be an emerging sub sector, while the meat of goat, lamb and sheep witnessed a decreasing RCA score post 2013 and are categorized as the threatened products. The untapped Halal meat export potential to Saudi Arabia and UAE comes out to be worth $ 132 million. To become a global market player in high value-added meat products and to realize untapped export potential, Pakistan needs to address the issues of traceability, weak supply chains, insufficient number of local meat brands, weak infrastructure, improperly managed marketing strategies, noncompliance to international standards, and halal meat certifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We model research and development (R and D) decisions in an investment model. • The model predicts higher investments in both R and D for larger firms. • Research intensity, i.e. the R-share in R&D, declines with firm size. • Results from firm-level panel data confirm these predictions. • Specialization of small firms in R benefits their productivity. Corporate research and development constitutes one of the main sources of innovation. Recent research, however, discusses a decline in corporate research and its implications for technological progress. The contribution of this study is to model research & development (R&D) decisions in an R&D investment model that allows the analysis of firms' engagement in research (R) as compared to development (D) activities. The model predicts higher investments in both activities for larger firms, but it also shows that research intensity, i.e. the R-share in R&D, declines with firm size. We test these propositions using data of R&D-active firms over the period from 2000 to 2015. While larger firms invest indeed more in both research and development, results from panel model estimations that account for unobserved heterogeneity across firms show that the relative focus on research decreases with firm size. In addition, the empirical results suggest that, since the returns to research in terms of productivity gains decline with firm size, specialization maximizes overall returns to R and D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During recent decades, David Ricardo's ideas on international trade have been submitted to new scrutiny. This research has led to a new understanding of the so-called 'principle of comparative advantage' and shown that the alleged 'Ricardian' model of foreign trade is based on a misunderstanding of Ricardo's text. The present paper focuses on the role of James Mill in the creation of the Ricardian vulgate. It shows how the evolution of Mill's thought, in part due to a didactic perspective and some difficulties raised by his numerical examples, distorted Ricardo's approach. In Mill we find all the ingredients of what is called the 'Ricardian' model of foreign trade, substituting an ex-ante perspective for Ricardo's ex-post approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Forest Products Industry is the property of China Forest Products Industry Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Innovative production is driven by creative destruction. High turnover requires frequent reallocation of capital. Banks play a major role in capital reallocation by withdrawing funds from nonviable firms and redirecting credit to scale up the most productive firms. Structural parameters of the banking system thus affect a country's comparative advantage in innovative sectors. Using a Heckscher–Ohlin model with banks, this paper shows how insolvency laws, investor protection, and bank capital regulation shape reallocation, specialization, and trade patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scallops are economically important shellfish widely cultured in China. In this study, the agglomeration characteristics of the scallop aquaculture industry in Chinese coastal provinces were explored based on data from the China Fishery Statistical Yearbook from 2012 to 2020 and the comparative advantage and concentration level of the scallop breeding industry. The data were analyzed using the comprehensive relative advantage index, location entropy, and industrial concentration degree method. Two main results revealed that Hebei Province had the highest comparative advantage in terms of efficiency, followed by Fujian, Guangdong, Shandong, Guangxi, Liaoning, and Zhejiang Provinces. Hebei Province had the highest comparative advantage in scale, followed by Liaoning, Shandong, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Zhejiang Provinces. Additionally, the scallop cultivation industry in Hebei, Shandong, and Liaoning Provinces showed a high concentration, and the proportion of scallop production in the national production (CR4) in the three provinces, as well as in Guangdong, accounted for more than 99% year-round. Overall, Hebei, Shandong, and Liaoning Provinces had a comparative advantage in scale, comprehensive comparative advantage, and industrial agglomeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]