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This study aims to analyze the export competitiveness of Bangladesh's apparel industry by identifying the specific product categories that help sustain its export comparative advantage.

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and market share (MS) are calculated between 2011 and 2020 at the two- and four-digit level apparel product categories within the harmonized system (HS) to analyze the industry’s growth and export dominance. Trade competitiveness (TC) at the four-digit level, revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) at the two-, four- and six-digit-level apparel product categories are computed for the same 10-year period to investigate the industry’s export competitiveness. Major export destinations of the top 5 exporting product categories are identified to understand the factors facilitating the industry’s growth. A non-parametric Spearman rank correlation analysis evaluated the association between the RCA and NRCA indices.

Among the 34 product categories at the four-digit level, 29 consistently demonstrated an export comparative advantage, as did 34 out of 217 six-digit level sub-categories. In contrast, 12 sub-categories at the six-digit level consistently exhibited a comparative disadvantage in Bangladesh's export competitiveness. Furthermore, the TC measure identified 28 categories at the four-digit level with a robust comparative advantage. 30 categories displayed a positive CAGR, and Bangladesh asserted significant market dominance over 26 product categories at the four-digit level.

This study's implications are significant for various stakeholders in Bangladesh and other apparel-exporting industries, encompassing government entities, industry officials, policymakers, investors, researchers and students. Nevertheless, limitations arise from the study's reliance on RCA and NRCA as competitiveness indicators, particularly its adoption of a macro-level approach for measurement without exploring a micro-level perspective. This constitutes a notable constraint in the study's analytical framework.

This study contributed novelty and enrichment to the existing academic literature by identifying distinct apparel product categories that contribute to the industry's growth.

This study aims to examine the export competitiveness of Vietnam’s apparel sector by identifying the precise product categories that create its comparative advantage.

Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) form the research methodology, and the RCA/NRCA values are calculated for the 2011–2020 period.

In total, 29 out of 34 product categories at four-digit levels and 65 out of 217 subcategories at six-digit levels elicited a consistent export comparative advantage throughout the 10-year study timeframe. The study also identified 13 subcategories at six-digit levels, which indicated 10 consecutive years of relative disadvantages.

The study’s findings have far-reaching implications for economic policy, development strategies and global economic integration. By providing a nuanced understanding of a country’s export strengths in the international apparel trade, this study offers valuable guidance for informed decision-making at various levels. The findings will serve as a significant source of information for policymakers and help them formulate novel policies aiming to diversify Vietnam’s apparel product offerings and export destinations. The results will also inform the government regarding the industry’s potential and attract necessary support, enabling it to grow further. This study reveals patterns in Vietnam’s apparel trade but does not provide insights into the underlying causes of comparative advantage.

The study provides an in-depth overview of Vietnam’s comparative advantages and disadvantages at two-, four- and six-digit harmonized system levels and helps understand Vietnam’s apparel export competitiveness.

This study aims to measure the competitiveness of top apparel exporting nations competing with China in different apparel product categories across the global environment.

Compound annual growth rate, trade competitiveness, market share percentages, revealed comparative advantage and its variant normalized revealed comparative advantage using two-, four- and six-digit harmonized system codes for the period of 2016–2021 were used to understand the comparative advantage of competing apparel exporting nations.

The findings revealed that China still holds a more decisive comparative advantage than its competitors over the majority of the product categories within the knitted or not knitted apparel and clothing accessories. The other competing nations hold better export competitiveness over China in specific categories. However, that is not sufficient to be the “Next China.”

The study has important implications for different stakeholders of the global apparel industry, such as governments, industry officials, policymakers, investors, researchers and students. The study’s limitations arise from using product categories as competitiveness indicators, notably relying on a macro level approach for measurement while the micro level perspective is not analyzed, which constitutes a significant limitation of the study.

This research thoroughly analyzes the competitive position of the top ten apparel-exporting countries in the global market.