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This study aims to assess the competitive position of EU candidate countries and Eastern Partnership countries in trading fruit and vegetables in the Single European Market in 2009 and 2023. This paper presents the amount and balance of bilateral trade in fruit and vegetables between the EU and the countries considered. It also estimates their comparative advantages in the EU internal market. A mapping tool based on the Widodo scheme was used for that purpose. This study proved that most EU candidate countries and Eastern Partnership members increased their trade values and improved their competitive position in the Single European Market (SEM) over the analyzed period. The boosters of trade included the demand in EU member markets (stimulated by the evolving consumption patterns and the widespread adoption of healthy diet patterns), the population's purchasing power, and their willingness to buy diversified products. Turkey exported a considerable volume of fruit and vegetables to the EU and gained the strongest competitive position in the SEM. In this case, the growth of exports to the EU market was primarily driven by the production potential resulting from large agricultural land resources, climate conditions, and geographical proximity. It may be concluded that the comparative advantages gained by the analyzed countries provided a basis for a beneficial export specialization, which shows the continuous relevance of the classical theory in explaining the volume and structure of trade in agri-food products. When considering the factors determining competitiveness, it may also be stated that the neoclassical theory of factor endowment developed by Heckscher, Ohlin, and Samuelson supports the optimization of agri-food export specialization in the analyzed countries. It was also shown that bilateral trade policies and agreements are decisive in trade performance and the shaping of international competitive positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the unique setting of small and medium-sized banks (SMBs) branching deregulation in China, this paper examines the impact of SMBs branches expansion on the credit availability of enterprises by using spatial distribution of SMBs branches at firm-level. We find that SMBs branches expansion has a stronger effect on improving the credit availability of large-scale enterprises compared with SMEs, indicating that SMBs don't give play to their advantages in serving SMEs. Our study provides empirical evidence for the hypothesis of 'Comparative Advantages of SMBs' and policy implication for the reform of banking structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to analyze the current state and potential future opportunities for Bulgarian-Chinese trade in agri-food products. To accomplish the goal of the study various approaches are used. After presenting the dynamics of the bilateral agri-food trade over the last decade, the product structure and the top Bulgarian exported products, the comparative advantages vis-a-vis China have been identified. Then the trade complementarity of agri-food products between Bulgaria and China is analyzed. Finally, the untapped export potential of Bulgarian agricultural products on the Chinese market is explored. The paper argues that Bulgaria should better utilize the existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to enhance and diversify the trade cooperation on agricultural products with China which, given the complimentary export profiles of both countries, is highly mutually beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study elaborates on a methodology that combines industry-level data (exports, HS 4-digits) with country-level indicators to determine which social capabilities are important when explaining patterns of comparative advantage (or structural transformation). The indicators used to characterize these capabilities are associated with different dimensions: economic, institutional, and cultural. Through the product space, we estimate a density measure identifying the proximity between non-competitive products and a country's current export profile, and then unpack the contribution of different relatedness channels to changes in comparative advantage by redefining densities in terms of social affinities between industries. We find that (i) countries can be competitive in certain industries, even if some of these capabilities are not high; (ii) all dimensions, but not all their components, matter in predicting changes in countries' comparative advantages; (iii) structural transformations take some time to materialize; and (iv) the inclusion of social affinities diminishes the influence of a density variable measuring overall relatedness to predict product takeoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to: study the features of China's economic growth, study the social responsibility of industrial companies (CSR), study the determinants of the comparative and competitive advantages of the clothing industry in China, study indicators of protection and competitive advantages and measurement methods. The most important findings of the research were the availability of Porter's diamond theory of national advantage and the theory of national advantage. Stakeholders provide a theoretical basis for analyzing the factors that contribute to China's competitive advantage in the global apparel manufacturing industry. The two theories explain the factors that influence global competitive advantage, as well as providing an understanding of the various stakeholders involved in China's apparel industry's competitive advantage. The theories also provide a structure for developing a protocol Interview for this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of current crises, the competitiveness of Moldova's agri-food exports emerges as a primary topic of interest, given that they account for over 50% of the nation's total exports. This study investigates the competitiveness of Moldova's agri-food exports compared to three EU candidate countries - Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine - and two EU member states - Poland and Romania. Using the Balassa Index, it analyzes the comparative advantages of these nations in the agri-food sector, with particular attention to the sub-categories of food products and vegetables. The results indicate a high competitiveness of Moldova in the exports of food products and vegetables, while the category of animal products shows comparative disadvantages. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the dynamics of comparative advantages and recommends focusing on the development of the agri-food processing industry to improve the external trade structure. The research emphasizes the need for a strategic approach in adapting and integrating national agricultural and food systems into global value chains to maximize economic benefits in a changing regional and global landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T he global economy significantly relies on the air conditioning sector, which has been gaining increased importance worldwide and in Türkiye due to the impact of global warming, climate change, and the diminishing energy resources. As a multifaceted industry encompassing air conditioning, heating, installation, insulation, refrigeration and ventilation sector has been adapting to the growing demand for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solutions. This study analyzes air conditioning industry of Türkiye and its sub-product groups in terms of its ability to compete internationally, spanning from 2001 to 2021. To assess competitiveness, we employed various analytical tools, including Balassa's Revealed Comparative Advantages Index (RCA), Vollrath Indices (RXA, RMP, RTA, RC), Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantages Index (RSCA), Trade Balance Index (TBI), and Product Mapping method. Notably, there is no research that scrutinize the competitiveness of the Turkish air conditioning industry utilizing the Product Mapping. The study findings emphasize that air conditioning industry of Türkiye has competitiveness. Within the sub-product group, the analysis reveals that Türkiye has competitiveness for 11 products, a near-limit competitiveness for 3 products, and a lack of competitiveness for 10 products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African countries are consistently trying to leverage industrialization to advance their economic development. Despite possessing favorable factors such as abundant natural resources, a surplus of low-cost labor, and an increasing number of established Special Economic Zones (SEZs), African countries are yet to fully maximize their potential and achieve sustainable and inclusive industrialization. This study explores the comparative advantages of African countries to determine the types of SEZs that can effectively accelerate industrialization. By leveraging the unique strengths and resources of each country, customized strategies for SEZs can be developed to attract investments, promote technological advancements, and foster sustainable economic growth. The research utilizes the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) matrix, which is grounded in Ricardian trade theory, examining trade data spanning from 2011 to 2021 to evaluate the competitive export capabilities of various countries. The findings consistently reveal that the selected countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, and South Africa) possess a significant and consistent comparative advantage in natural and agricultural resources compared to other sectors. Establishing SEZs that focus on these sectors can generate substantial socio-economic impacts, including attracting investments, creating employment opportunities, enhancing export capacities, stimulating economic growth, fostering linkages, facilitating skills and technology transfer, promoting spillover effects, encouraging specialization, developing infrastructure, and supporting value addition in agribusinesses. The result of this study will contribute to policy discussions and aid decision-making processes for policymakers, investors, and development practitioners in their efforts to advance industrial development across Africa.

The purpose of this study was to assess the competitive position of the Turkish agri-food sector in trade with the European Union. The study focused on agri-food products arranged as per the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS1-24), and relied on data collected in two years, 2010 and2022, retrieved from UNCTAD and Eurostat resources. The authors used the Widodo product mapping scheme to arrange the products. The results provide grounds for concluding that Turkey and the EU witnessed growth in bilateral agri-food trade. Between 2010 and2022, the exports from Turkey to the EU increased by89% whereas imports went up by84%. In the years covered by the study, Turkey had the greatest comparative advantage and the highest degree of export specialization in the following product groups: preparations of vegetables, fruit and nuts (HS20), fish and crustaceans (HS03), vegetables (HS08) and edible fruit and nuts (HS07). Conversely, Turkey showed no comparative advantages in (and was a net importer of): cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS18), cereals (HS10) and meat and edible meat offal (HS02). The mix of products traded can be viewed as rational and consistent with the classical theory of trade. Turkey’s comparative advantages provided a source of a beneficial specialization. In turn, imported products were those in which Turkey is not self-sufficient.

This study aims to assess the competitive position of EU candidate countries and Eastern Partnership countries in trading fruit and vegetables in the Single European Market in 2009 and 2023. This paper presents the amount and balance of bilateral trade in fruit and vegetables between the EU and the countries considered. It also estimates their comparative advantages in the EU internal market. A mapping tool based on the Widodo scheme was used for that purpose. This study proved that most EU candidate countries and Eastern Partnership members increased their trade values and improved their competitive position in the Single European Market (SEM) over the analyzed period. The boosters of trade included the demand in EU member markets (stimulated by the evolving consumption patterns and the widespread adoption of healthy diet patterns), the population’s purchasing power, and their willingness to buy diversified products. Turkey exported a considerable volume of fruit and vegetables to the EU and gained the strongest competitive position in the SEM. In this case, the growth of exports to the EU market was primarily driven by the production potential resulting from large agricultural land resources, climate conditions, and geographical proximity. It may be concluded that the comparative advantages gained by the analyzed countries provided a basis for a beneficial export specialization, which shows the continuous relevance of the classical theory in explaining the volume and structure of trade in agri-food products. When considering the factors determining competitiveness, it may also be stated that the neoclassical theory of factor endowment developed by Heckscher, Ohlin, and Samuelson supports the optimization of agri-food export specialization in the analyzed countries. It was also shown that bilateral trade policies and agreements are decisive in trade performance and the shaping of international competitive positions.

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists 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.)

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.

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.

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 inputoutput 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serbia is a significant producer of tobacco in Europe and the only country in Europe where tobacco production is growing. Due to privatization, some of the most important multinational companies are now producing tobacco products in Serbia. Bearing in mind the liberalization of the market and the harmful effect tobacco products have on health, this research tried to analyze the tobacco and tobacco products sector in Serbia. The study's main goal was to analyze the characteristics of the tobacco and tobacco supply chain in Serbia and determine comparative advantages and levels of integration with the world market. The methodology used in this study included the index of concentration of tobacco manufacturers, followed by a panel regression analysis to determine factors that affected profitability in this industry. Also, foreign trade performances were analyzed using the indices of revealed comparative advantages and integration. The research was conducted for the period from 2013 to the last available year. The results indicate the growth of tobacco production despite the decline in the number of farms, the highly concentrated production of tobacco products, and the significant intensification of foreign trade despite modest comparative advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As important supplementary to major edible oils, comparative chemical advantages of minor edible oils decide their development and usage. In this study, chemical composition of 13 kinds of specific edible vegetable oils were investigated. The comparative advantages of chemical compositions of these edible oils were obtained as follows: (1) camellia, tiger nut and almond oil were rich in oleic acid, the contents of which accounted for 79.43%, 69.16% and 66.26%, respectively; (2) safflower oil contained the highest content of linoleic acid (76.69%), followed by grape seed (66.85%) and walnut oil (57.30%); (3) perilla seed, siritch, peony seed and herbaceous peony seed oil were rich in α-linolenic acid (59.61%, 43.74%, 40.83% and 30.84%, respectively); (4) the total phytosterol contents of these oils ranged from 91.46 mg/100 ​g (camellia oil) to 506.46 mg/100 ​g (siritch oil); and (5) The best source of tocopherols was sacha inchi oil (122.74 mg/100 ​g), followed by perilla seed oil (55.89 mg/100 ​g), peony seed oil (53.73 mg/100 ​g) and herbaceous peony seed oil (47.17 mg/100 ​g). The comparative advantages of these specific edible oils indicated that they possess the high potential nutritional values and health care functions.

Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 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.)

Mexico and South Korea have progressed in their commercial affairs since they began diplomatic relations in 1962. Currently, the possibility of negotiating a free trade agreement between both economies is being raised. The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential effects of such a trade agreement for both countries. For this, indexes of commercial intensity, revealed comparative advantages, complementarity, and commercial similarity are used. The results show that these two countries have intensified their trade relations, turning Mexico into South Korea's main trading partner in Latin America and giving rise to a complementary trade structure with advantages for Mexico in the trade of mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, and transport equipment. Also, an asymmetry was found in the tariff rates that could generate commercial advantages, especially for Mexico in the primary sector in case of the signing of a free trade agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the influence of international trade on the specialization and competitiveness of Mexican chicken meat during 1980 to 2017. Methodology: A hypothetical-deductive method was applied; the study is longitudinal with information from secondary sources with which it was developed. a database in Excel in the form of matrices to calculate the competitiveness indices at the macroeconomic level, which are: the Lafay and Balassa index. Results: The results show that Mexico lacks comparative advantages and must generate strategies for infrastructure, health regulation and strengthening of the productive chain to increase production, reduce costs and thereby increase its specialization and competitiveness as a net exporter. Limitations: Is necessary to disseminate, by the institutional route and in collaboration with private and nongovernmental organizations, the best agricultural practices and at the same time, stimulate the development of the improved seed market. Conclusions: It is necessary to carry out actions that increase the advantages and with it the specialization and competitiveness in the commercial poultry farming of chicken meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

In in the last 60 or so years, the global rabbit industry has been growing steadily. This paper studies the global rabbit meat trade by focusing on trade growth and regional pattern. First, rabbit meat production and regional structure are introduced, as the basis of trade. Then, the global rabbit meat trade is studied in detail, including trade growth, regional structural changes, comparative advantages and competitiveness of major countries. Finally, a gravity model is built to test major factors affecting the rabbit meat trade and explore the driving forces behind the trade. The data come from different channels, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Bank, the World Trade Organization and related government statistics. The results show that: (1) Over the past 60 yr, the global rabbit industry has achieved great progress. In the first half of the period, rabbit meat was mainly produced in Europe; then, rabbit meat production in Asia increased steadily and rapidly in the second half period, while European production decreased continuously. (2) The rabbit meat trade had been increasing for about 20 yr from 1961 to 1979, after which it fluctuated for another 20 yr. However, since 2001 it has been stable around an average level of 37 thousand tonnes, with only minor fluctuation. The trade pattern is currently from Asia (mainly China) and South America (mainly Argentina) to European countries. In 2018, the top 5 export destinations were Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and France (3). Hungary and Argentina have been two strong competitors in the last two decades, while Spain and Belgium are two new and promising countries in the rabbit meat trade. Now China no longer has comparative advantages in the rabbit meat trade (4). The gravity model results show that rabbit meat trade is mainly driven by demand. Countries with a high Gross Domestic Product tend to increase their imports more, but decrease their exports. Countries with higher populations export more rabbit meat but import less. Common language and contiguity of two countries have significant impacts on rabbit meat trade. Based on the above results, some suggestions and policy implications are provided. Rabbit farmers or processing companies should pay more attention to domestic consumers or neighbouring countries to survey potential markets; traders should explore more markets in order to reduce the degree of trade concentration and lower risks. Governments should popularise the nutritional knowledge of rabbit meat to encourage people (especially young people) to consume more healthy rabbit meat instead of pork, with a view to reducing obesity or other heart diseases, etc.

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.)

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changes in Bulgaria’s competitiveness in the textile and clothing (T&C) industry after the European Union accession and in times of the coronavirus pandemic covering the period 2007-2020. In methodological terms the study uses various indicators including production value, employment, labour productivity, relative trade balance, revealed comparative advantage index, among others. Wherever possible the analysis is done in a comparative perspective benchmarking the performance of the sector in Bulgaria with that in Romania. The results show that the Bulgarian T&C industry has undergone a significant transformation in the last two decades increasing its productivity but being subject to significant jobs downsizing. While still competitive on the European market, with rising wages and production costs, the comparative advantages of the industry are gradually eroding. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the apparel subsector very hard while some textile producers which managed to shift their production to personal protective equipment items managed it successfully. However, this is a temporary solution. The T&C industry in Bulgaria is confronted with significant long-term challenges such as the green and the digital transformation, and the how it deals with them will determine the prospects of the sector.

Serbia is a significant producer of tobacco in Europe and the only country in Europe where tobacco production is growing. Due to privatization, some of the most important multinational companies are now producing tobacco products in Serbia. Bearing in mind the liberalization of the market and the harmful effect tobacco products have on health, this research tried to analyze the tobacco and tobacco products sector in Serbia. The study’s main goal was to analyze the characteristics of the tobacco and tobacco supply chain in Serbia and determine comparative advantages and levels of integration with the world market. The methodology used in this study included the index of concentration of tobacco manufacturers, followed by a panel regression analysis to determine factors that affected profitability in this industry. Also, foreign trade performances were analyzed using the indices of revealed comparative advantages and integration. The research was conducted for the period from 2013 to the last available year. The results indicate the growth of tobacco production despite the decline in the number of farms, the highly concentrated production of tobacco products, and the significant intensification of foreign trade despite modest comparative advantages.

• Proposal for a new index of revealed comparative advantages, ideal for global value chains, since it is on a linear scale and without the traditional double counting. • Analysis of the changes between the new index of revealed comparative advantages and the previous one, referring to the computer and electronics industry. • Creating a balance between the new index of revealed comparative advantages and the new index of revealed technological advantages. Traditionally, comparative advantages have been measured by the volume of gross exports and with formulas that give asymmetric results. However, with the globalization of value chains, other indices have emerged to partially solve some of these problems. The objective of this study is to create a new index for a linear comparison of different economies around the world at the sectoral specialization level, and without the problem of double international counting originated in the global value chains. The methodology used focuses on the properties of the new index and on the comparison with a previous index that only solved the problem of double counting. The results confirm that the new indicator is more reliable than the other index, especially in more advanced sectors of global value chains. Therefore, it should be used to establish policies related to international trade by different economies and global organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by resource-based view, this study investigates performance stabilization of new hotels in emerging markets. Profitability measures (e.g., gross operating profit percentage [GOP%]) and standard operating metrics (i.e., average daily rate [ADR], occupancy, and revenue per available room [RevPAR]) for 105 hotels in China, Indonesia, and Thailand were collected from 2002 to 2015. Growth analysis of the data showed that, contrary to industry assumptions within mature markets, most hotels did not stabilize when standard operating metrics were used; even when they did, they took significantly longer than 3 years. Instead, GOP% was identified as the best measure to exhibit stable performance; hence, this measure was econometrically regressed against each hotel's comparative advantages. Results showed that real estate type and hotel positioning significantly affected performance stabilization, whereas location and scale did not. This study contributes to the current dearth of literature on strategic management and hotel performance, providing previously unavailable empirical evidence relating to bottom-line profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia is the property of Wydawnictwo SGGW 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.)

In order to provide wheat quality information for wheat purchasing & storage companies and processing companies in Hebei Province and provide technical basis for the rational use of local wheat resources,The newly harvested wheat from the main wheat producing areas in Hebei Province from 2010 to 2019 was tested for quality indicators such as test weight,mass of 1000 grains,unsound kernel content,sprouted kernel content,moisture content,hardness index,falling number,wet gluten content,and protein content.The quality of wheat in Hebei Province in the past ten years was analyzed from three aspects:the annual change of each detection index,the comparison of the average value of the detection index of each city,and the comparison of the selection of the detection index of each city.The results showed that the quality of wheat was normal except for 2013 and 2018.The quality of wheat in 2013 was the worst in ten years.The test weight,mass of 1000 grains and falling number of wheat were all at the lowest values.The unsound kernel content and sprouted kernel content and moisture content were at the highest values.In the data of past ten years,the wheat in Xinji City has obvious comparative advantages in terms of high test weight,high mass of 1000 grains weight,low unsound kernel content,and high wheat hardness index.In addition,wheat from Handan,Xingtai and Shijiazhuang City has obvious comparative advantages in terms of high test weight.

We demonstrate that the commercialization of basic grains conducted by developed countries since the 1970s has weakened the traditional agriculture of historically dependent countries, and consequently the loss of their food self-sufficiency. In terms of methodology, a historical and descriptive analysis is carried out based on data from secondary sources and statistics. The results show that in neoliberalism, while the United States and China increased their world production and exports of corn and wheat, Mexico increased the import of these grains by following the non-traditional agro-export model to insert itself into the world order. Mexico has the challenge of recovering self-sufficiency, building the food sovereignty and guaranteeing the right to healthy food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the state and the historical-geographical and socio-political processes of its emergence, citing the earliest states that have existed in human history as examples. Among the factors contributing to the political independence of the state, the factor of economic development is of particular importance. In this context the issue of economic independence of sovereign Kazakhstan is considered on the basis of comparative advantages of the country in relation to other countries in the international geo-economic system after the transition to a market economy. Comparative advantage is based on the country's geographical position, natural resource potential, development in the economic, transport and social and technical spheres. It is also influenced by the development of economic and political-cultural integration processes. In particular, the location of Kazakhstan in the centre of Eurasia; its large natural territories and natural resource potential, including energy, land, soil, water, forest, biological, mineral, climatic and recreational resources; transit potential, connecting West and East, South and North; the presence of enterprises established during the Soviet Union; mass population literacy, availability of highly qualified citizens; international relations formed during the years of independence; a favourable investment environment; and the fact that the country has a well-developed economy. The article also considers the importance of using these potentials in defining and strengthening Kazakhstan's position in today's complex and unstable global geopolitics and geoeconomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ECOWAS regional group of countries is made up of 15 West African member states whose fundamental goal is economic integration and regional stability. The international trade of ECOWAS member states in the period from 2014 to 2019 was analyzed by application of important indicators such as foreign trade, international competitiveness, and comparative advantages. The main hypothesis of this paper assumed mainly a lower level of foreign trade openness, and export competitiveness as well as a deficit of foreign trade for most ECOWAS member countries. The results of the analysis confirmed the lack of international trade and the lower level of international competitiveness and comparative advantages of the analyzed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study aims to identify the impact of applying the international standards and specifications issued by the International Organization for Standardization and Metrology (ISO-Scuba) in enhancing competitive advantages and comparative advantages which improves the quality of diving tourism in the Jordanian Gulf of Aqaba coast. An analysis of all the provisions of international standards and specifications for marine diving tourism is utilized to provide a comprehensive picture of the reality of diving tourism in the study area. The results of the study revealed that the application of ISO standards and specifications in marine protected areas in the Gulf of Aqaba can provide a flexible and adaptable system in managing the quality of tourism services provided to tourists. It contributes to providing a framework for applying international standards and specifications to marine protected areas in the study area. This contribution is critical for decision-maker in adopting the holistic planning process for the diving tourism industry in the city of Aqaba, especially in light of expansion a great diving tourism industry witnessed in Aqaba city since the beginning of this century.

The article discusses issues of international trade theory and current global economic trends to assess the possibility of developing the foreign economic sector in Latin America as a whole, and in particular, Peru. Using development statistics from the foreign trade sector, and considering global trends in international trade over the past decade, an attempt is made to assess the ability of Latin American countries to meet growing differentiated demand and thus specialize in advantageous sectors, allowing them to integrate into global supply chains by providing resources, goods, and services at primary, secondary, and tertiary market levels. By examining the potential of Latin American countries, there is a real possibility of creating value chains around market niches that exist in global trade and applying them to ensure that Latin American products receive international recognition. In this context, the analysis of the dynamics of trade exchange is taken as a basis for comparing Peru with other countries, since according to the IMF, in recent years, Peru is one of the countries with the highest economic growth forecast in Latin America. Peru has great potential in mining (in Ankash, Arequipa and Junin, among other places), commercial fishing (Ankash, Liberty, Piura and others), agriculture (Piura, Liberty, Ica and others), camelid breeding (vicuña, alpaca, etc., in Puno, Junin, Cuzco) and other activities. In 2018, Peru managed to raise total exports up to $47.7 billion USD (+7.5% from 2017), thus achieving a historic record for Peruvian exports. This growth is explained by noticeable growth in the non-traditional sector, which reached $13.2 billion (+12.6% from 2017). The present study uses the theory of comparative advantage to quantify product competitiveness based on global comparison, which helps indicate how to move towards higher levels of specialization in the production and export structure. To analyze international trade data, we used indicators such as the Balance of Trade and the Balassa Index, which allowed us to determine a list of thirty products, of which twenty (traditional and non-traditional) showed a steady increase in exports, and the other ten, mainly non-traditional, despite being lower in ranking, have greater potential for further growth.

he diversification of regions in terms of economic growth rate is largely due to the path dependence: a region’s economy depends on the earlier established industrial structure. Successful regions, formed as an economic “core”, now have more reasons for creating a new economy and ensuring further economic growth. Existing institutions and norms, returns to scale, inertial development are the constraining factors for the path-breaking. The paper shows that the departure from path dependency for the regions is possible through technological innovations and interregional relations. The study aims to develop a method for assessing a region’s path-breaking possibility based on the existing industrial structure and its connection with the economy’s high-tech sector. The proposed assessment method is based on using the localization coefficient for determining the proximity of types of economic activity (that have a comparative advantage in a region) with the economy’s high-tech sub-sectors. The approach has been tested in the regions of Russia. We have shown that certain regions can move further by investing in interregional ties and internal innovations. These two factors contribute to the rapid development, reduce dependence on the established industrial structure, allow maintaining comparative advantages. The research has practical significance as it offers an analytical tool for making decisions about the possibility and directions of a region’s path-breaking. It is important to understand in which direction a region should develop inter-sectoral cooperation for the emergence of the economy’s new sectors.

African countries are consistently trying to leverage industrialization to advance their economic development. Despite possessing favorable factors such as abundant natural resources, a surplus of low-cost labor, and an increasing number of established Special Economic Zones (SEZs), African countries are yet to fully maximize their potential and achieve sustainable and inclusive industrialization. This study explores the comparative advantages of African countries to determine the types of SEZs that can effectively accelerate industrialization. By leveraging the unique strengths and resources of each country, customized strategies for SEZs can be developed to attract investments, promote technological advancements, and foster sustainable economic growth. The research utilizes the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) matrix, which is grounded in Ricardian trade theory, examining trade data spanning from 2011 to 2021 to evaluate the competitive export capabilities of various countries. The findings consistently reveal that the selected countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, and South Africa) possess a significant and consistent comparative advantage in natural and agricultural resources compared to other sectors. Establishing SEZs that focus on these sectors can generate substantial socio-economic impacts, including attracting investments, creating employment opportunities, enhancing export capacities, stimulating economic growth, fostering linkages, facilitating skills and technology transfer, promoting spillover effects, encouraging specialization, developing infrastructure, and supporting value addition in agribusinesses. The result of this study will contribute to policy discussions and aid decision-making processes for policymakers, investors, and development practitioners in their efforts to advance industrial development across Africa., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Xingping Wang reports financial support was provided by Social Science Foundation of China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Research background: The paper accounts for the problem of assessing the factors of the formation of Ukraine's technological competitiveness in the face of new challenges for the state in the process of developing relations with the EU. Purpose of the article: The aim of the report is to assess the level of technological competitiveness of the Ukrainian economy and determine the most important factors for its further development in the conditions of association with the EU. Methods: The article presents the scheme of research of technological competitiveness of Ukraine on the basis of qualitative and economic-statistical analysis, analysis of comparative advantages, cluster and correlation-regression analysis. Findings & Value added: The analysis of world rankings has shown that the technological competitiveness of Ukraine determines comparative factor advantages in coverage of higher education, availability of scientific staff, and quality of research institutions, but low state support, lack of stability, and problems in institutional development hamper the country's innovative potential. The identification of competitive advantages in trade in high-tech products demonstrates that Ukraine remains an importer of high-tech products; relatively small comparative competitive advantages among the high-tech products of Ukraine has only products of the aerospace industry. Сluster analysis showed that Ukraine is in the same cluster as Poland. Bulgaria and Romania, which have not yet fully consistent with the level of technological competitiveness of EU leaders; among the strengths of Ukraine are the development of human resources and labour effect. The correlation analysis between the components of the Global Innovation Index and the factors of increasing Ukraine's competitiveness indicates a moderate link between the development of clusters, the ratio of expenditures on R&D to GDP, and the export of ICT services. In order to increase the level of technological competitiveness of Ukraine: to increase both foreign investments and state financing; improvement of regulatory acts, reduction of corruption, institutional improvement; support of technologies through regional cluster programs or "smart specialisation"; integration into the European Research Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism specialization has been studied so far at an aggregate geographical level and by considering tourism as a homogeneous product. The result is a simplistic and stereotypical image of tourism specialization, as for Europe where southern European Union (EU) countries are commonly viewed as highly specialized in tourism services and northern EU countries highly specialized in other activities. The purpose of this article is to provide a method for a deeper analysis of tourism specialization. We study comparative advantages and disadvantages of a sample of 20 European countries over the period 2010–2016 by considering bilateral flows of three different quality tourism services (high, middle, low). Our results show serious differences with those obtained by the traditional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the foreign trade in services of Bulgaria. Nowadays the services sector has a leading role in the gross output of most countries in the world. It covers a diverse range of services, which to one degree or another affect other sectors of the economy. However, due to their intangible nature and especially due to the impossibility of storing the quantities produced services are more difficult to trade internationally than material goods. The share of services in world foreign trade is several times smaller than that of material goods, but in recent years the rate of increase in trade in services has been higher than the rate of increase in material goods. This is reason to believe that the potential of services as a factor for economic growth is increasing. Therefore, it is normal for individual countries, depending on the specifics of their resource endowment, to specialize in the production and export of certain services in terms of economic efficiency. With regard to the present study the thesis can be defined that Bulgaria whose production of services forms more than half of the total production has comparative advantages and specialization in some services in international trade. The aim is to identify those groups of services in which the country has comparative advantages and specialization and to establish their dynamics during the period under review. The concept of comparative advantages has existed for over 2 centuries and attempts to measure them by the index method began to be made in the late 50s of last century. Since then, numerous indices have been proposed in the economic literature. The main disadvantage of some of them is that only export trade flows are taken into account. Therefore, a situation may arise in which the country has large imports of a product, even exceeding exports, but it can be concluded that there are export comparative advantages. Therefore, three indices are used in the present study. Two of them include data not only on export but also on import trade flows. The following methods have been: historical and logical, mathematical and statistical methods - mainly the index method, analysis and synthesis, deduction and the descriptive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changes in Bulgaria's competitiveness in the textile and clothing (T&C) industry after the European Union accession and in times of the coronavirus pandemic covering the period 2007-2020. In methodological terms the study uses various indicators including production value, employment, labour productivity, relative trade balance, revealed comparative advantage index, among others. Wherever possible the analysis is done in a comparative perspective benchmarking the performance of the sector in Bulgaria with that in Romania. The results show that the Bulgarian T&C industry has undergone a significant transformation in the last two decades increasing its productivity but being subject to significant jobs downsizing. While still competitive on the European market, with rising wages and production costs, the comparative advantages of the industry are gradually eroding. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the apparel subsector very hard while some textile producers which managed to shift their production to personal protective equipment items managed it successfully. However, this is a temporary solution. The T&C industry in Bulgaria is confronted with significant long-term challenges such as the green and the digital transformation, and the how it deals with them will determine the prospects of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneity in factor endowments and the degree of specializations induced by comparative advantages are among the crucial factors that affect the overall productivity of the economy. Few studies, however, investigate what strengthens such endowment-related specialization patterns in the agricultural sector in low-income countries, although such evolutions have profound effects on the role of factor endowments in households' behaviors. This is in contrast to well-established international trade theory, such as the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem which describes how heterogeneity in endowment across countries gives rise to comparative advantages for specialization and trade. We partly fill this critical knowledge gap by providing a set of evidence from Nepal, which is a country that has historically been dominated by smallholder farmers and yet has recently been experiencing rapid structural transformation within the agricultural sector. Specifically, we show the following: the agricultural sector in Nepal has experienced a significant increase in returns-to-scale (RTS) in production in recent years during the process of growing adoptions of agricultural mechanization through the custom-hiring market. Such increase in RTS has primarily strengthened the linkages between factor endowment heterogeneity (across farm households) and their specialization behaviors in labor, land, and the agricultural capital market. Both cross-section and panel-data of households in Nepal extracted from Nepal Living Standards Surveys are used to generate this evidence. We find that rising RTS associated primarily with tractor use growth has been inducing greater exploitations of comparative advantages; agricultural households have been increasingly specializing in exchanges of production factors, services, and outputs, in ways consistent with predictions based on their relative factor endowments. Specifically, the rise in RTS has induced households with more labor, land, and capital endowments to rent out their labor, land, and credit, respectively, within the agricultural sector, while increasingly renting-in the other factors with which they are less endowed. The results suggest that understanding factor endowments heterogeneity among agricultural households is becoming increasingly important for effective agricultural policy designs in countries like Nepal, where employment shares in the agricultural sector remain high despite the growth in mechanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]