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The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the global competitiveness of the top ten wooden furniture exporting countries with several approaches and to test the effect of export prices (EXPRs) on the global competition.

Countries' competitiveness levels were measured with revealed comparative advantage (RCA), normalised RCA (NRCA), revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and trade balance index. Furthermore, panel regression analysis techniques were used to test the effects of EXPR on RCA, NRCA and RSCA in the wooden furniture industry (WFI).

Although the comparative advantage approaches give different results, the global competitiveness of Poland and Vietnam is at a high level in all approaches. Canada has been the country with the weakest global competitiveness in all approaches. According to the results of the analysis, EXPRs positively affect all the competitive advantage indexes. As a result, the competitiveness of the WFI is affected by the non-price factors instead of the EXPR.

The framework allows us to measure and illustrate the export competitiveness of the WFI and permits a global comparison. Similar analyses can be made for different labour-intensive sectors. In addition, analysis can be made to identify non-price factors for the WFI sector. Thus, more specific inferences can be made.

This study is useful for policymakers, government officials, the industry associations and the company executives to assess their export competitiveness in the WFI. Thus, they can determine whether to shift scarce resources to this industry or other industries. In addition, this study may affect the price competition policy of the sector representatives in the global market.

This study deals with the competitiveness of the WFI with different approaches. And this study determines the importance of price for global competition in this sector.

Given the dominant share of India in global production of fruits and vegetables, this paper intends to analyze the export competitiveness of India and other major food exporters in the world trade. The purpose of this study is to examine export structure, substitutability and complementarity of selected fresh and processed fruits and vegetables of top ten food exporters for the period 2010-20.

Balassa’s (1965) revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index was used to measure RCA indices of selected fruits and vegetables under study. Also, revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and normalized RCA (NRCA) indices have been calculated. Further, Spearman rank correlation coefficients were computed to analyze changes over the study period for India and other competing countries. The export data have been sourced from UN Comtrade, an electronic database of United Nations, as well as World Trade Statistical Review, a database of World Trade Organization. The analysis was undertaken at Harmonized System (HS) four-digit classification for the period 2010-20.

The results disclosed an improvement in India’s comparative advantage over the period of 2010-20 in HS 07 product category, whereas the advantage ceded to other competitive nations in HS 08 product category. Further, Spearman rank correlation coefficients revealed that India faces competition from countries like China, Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and European Union for HS 07 product category, while countries like Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailandare the major competitors of India in HS 08 product category.

The paper expands the existing agricultural trade literature in three ways. First, it is one of the very few studies that have analyzed RCA for Indian fresh and processed fruits and vegetables using three different types of indices, namely, Balassa’s RCA, RSCA and NRCA. Second, the authors provide a number of comparisons related to RCA for Indian fruits and vegetables with other top food exporters in the world for a period of 10 years (2010-20). Third, the authors contribute to agricultural trade literature by assessing the substitutability or complementarity of India in the export of fruits and vegetables with other competing nations by using Spearman rank correlation coefficients.

This paper aims to present an exploratory investigation into ten‐year (1995‐2004) patterns of trade specialization among Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations, assessing patterns of comparative advantage across the textile machinery, man‐made fiber, textile, and apparel sectors of the textile complex to determine whether these conform with both trade specialization and industry evolution theories.

A revealed symmetric comparative advantage index is employed to evaluate international competitiveness for 27 Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations over a ten‐year period. Repeated measures ANOVA is used to determine the significance of the observed patterns across four income‐defined groups of nations.

Overall, the pattern of export development and RSCA generally reflects expectations regarding factor proportions theory and industry evolution models. The RMANOVA partially confirms the observations. The analysis indicates that income group does not independently affect comparative advantage; however, the nature of products is the significant factor influencing national comparative advantage.

The established models may be better at understanding those nations which have established relatively stable politic and economic environment, and been experiencing earlier stages of industry development, but appear less useful in predicting development patterns for those nations experiencing dramatic transitions from regulated to de‐regulated markets.

The patterns of national comparative advantage in a vertical textile complex are identified for Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations. The dynamics of change over a ten‐year period following economic reforms are revealed.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the export competitiveness of Pakistan with border-sharing countries, i.e. Afghanistan, China, India and Iran for the year 2014.

The study uses revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) index to measure export competitiveness with border-sharing countries. The study has split the results into highest and marginal comparative advantage and disadvantage according to the rank.

Pakistan is exporting 160, 155, 133 and 60 commodities at three-digit level of Standard International Trade Code (Rev 3) classification to Afghanistan, China, India and Iran, respectively. The results suggest that Pakistan has highest and marginal comparative disadvantage in more than half of these commodities exported to border-sharing countries. Pakistan can improve its market share for rice in Afghanistan, China and Iran. Special measures and productive efforts are required to improve the export competitiveness of cotton, textile yarn and cotton fabric in border-sharing countries.

Pakistan has to adopt special strategies to improve the competitiveness of those commodities that fall in marginal comparative advantage and disadvantage. To increase the volume of cross-border trading, political and diplomatic channels are required among the countries especially the border-sharing countries.

Export competitiveness of Pakistan is analyzed for all the commodities exported to border-sharing countries and categorized into highest and marginal comparative advantage and disadvantage. To avoid the problem of asymmetry in Balassa index revealed comparative advantage, RSCA index is used.

This paper aims to analyse the wine market in relation to international competitiveness and international market structure.

To describe the international market structure, this paper uses Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and Net Export Index to measure export competitiveness revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA). Finally, survival function analyses were developed using the Kaplan–Meier product-limit estimator to characterise the stability and duration of the competitiveness in the international wine market of each country and after they were grouped into Old and New World wine-exporting countries, and Wilcoxon and the Log-rank tests were used to compare the survivor functions.

The findings have revealed that the import market structure has remained unconcentrated, whereas the export market structure is moderately concentrated. Concerning trade characteristics, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa and Georgia are exporters. Austria is a trader (re-exporter), and the USA, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands are importers with strong domestic consumption. Regarding the RSCA, the New and Old World wine-exporting countries have high scores, specifically France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa and Georgia. However, the advantages have weakened for most of the countries analysed. Only a few Old World wine-exporting counties (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Georgia) have demonstrated stable comparative advantages over time. However, when grouped into Old World and New World, their survivor functions present little statistical differentiation during the period.

The originality of the paper is that it applies the industrial organisation and comparative advantage approaches to the wine international market, highlighting the top global players. The paper also makes valuable contributions to the wine literature by analysing the duration and stability of comparative advantage in the worldwide wine trade at a country level and comparing them grouped into Old and New World wine-exporting countries.

The purpose of this study is to identify US textile and apparel (TAP) products and categories that demonstrate export comparative advantage and their respective country destinations.

Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) in the long term (1996-2016) and short term (2010-2016) using two-digit Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System codes (HS codes) provide an insight into export advantage of TAP products. Non-parametric rank correlation (i.e. Spearman rank correlation) tests consistency between RCA and NRCA. Subsequently, NRCA using four-digit HS codes identify textile sub-categories with export comparative advantage. Bilateral trade data identify export destinations for sub-categories that indicate US export comparative advantage in the short term.

Aggregated product-level comparison of RCA and NRCA ranking indicates a consistent positive correlation between the two indices. The disaggregated findings reveal cotton fiber HS5201, artificial filament tow HS5502, non-wovens HS5603, cotton yarn HS5205, carpet and other floor coverings HS5703 and worn clothing HS6309 as sources of US TAP export advantage.

This research provides a comprehensive, current analysis of the US competitive position within the TAP global environment. Incorporation of NRCA into the study’s design demonstrates the flexibility of this measure in a new industry context.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the whisky market in relation to international competitiveness and international market structure.

The study uses Herfindahl–Hirschman index and net export index to describe the international market structure, and revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) index to measure export competitiveness. In addition, it was developed this stability and duration through regression analysis, and used Kaplan–Meier estimator to characterize the competitiveness survival in international whisky market.

The results reveal that imports market structure remained unconcentrated and, on the other hand, exports market structure is highly concentrated. Concerning the trade characteristics, UK and Ireland have a strong tendency to export; Australia, France, Japan and Spain have a strong position on import and consumption; and Latvia, The Netherlands and Singapore to re-export. About the RSCA, UK, Ireland and Latvia have highest values. UK and Ireland are totally stable during the period analysed, and other countries such as USA, Singapore and Latvia also have a greater survival rate of RSCA.

This study provides a comprehensive and current analysis of the international whisky market structure and competitiveness, contributing to the analysis of the international market for products that have differentiation and focus appeal, such as whisky.

This paper seeks to present a preliminary investigation into long‐term patterns of trade specialization among leading textile‐ and apparel‐exporting nations, assessing patterns of comparative advantage across the textile machinery, man‐made fiber, textile and apparel sectors of the textile complex to determine whether these conform with both trade specialization and industry evolution theories. A model of evolutionary change in intra‐complex specialization is defined and evaluated.

A revealed comparative advantage index is employed to evaluate international competitiveness for 30 nations over a 42‐year period. With repeated measures, ANOVA is used, to determine the significance of the observed patterns across five income‐defined groups of nations.

Long‐term patterns of specialization broadly reflect expectations of factor proportions theory and industry evolution models. Product and income group characteristics combine to influence comparative advantage. Higher income nations generally remain stronger in more capital‐intensive sectors, while lower income countries have emerged to dominate labor‐intensive sectors. However, inclusion of a more complex array of variables is necessary to obtain a fuller understanding of international competitiveness.

Established theory remains a useful but limited guide to understanding the dynamics of international competitiveness in the context of the changing business environment. Improved understanding of patterns of change can assist strategic planning.

By embracing a long‐term time frame, a broad array of nations, and a vertical textile complex perspective to identify shifting patterns of competitiveness, this paper highlights key dynamics in the global textile complex over the last four decades.

This study aims to analyse the structure and the competitiveness of the international coffee market.

To describe the international market structure, this study uses Herfindahl–Hirschman index, net export index (NEI), and to measure export competitiveness revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA). Finally, survival function analyses were developed using the Kaplan–Meier product-limit estimator to characterize the stability and duration of the competitiveness in the international coffee market.

The results reveal that the imports and exports market structure are unconcentrated. NEI shows that several countries are stable in their commercial characteristics (imports, exports and re-exports), nevertheless, NEI also revealed countries transitioning through the commercial characteristics, that the international coffee market structure presents dynamic commercial characteristics. The result for (RSCA shows that Uganda, Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Indonesia had the highest values and also resulted in better survival rates along with Italy, India, Mexico and Switzerland. The stability of RSCA indices is investigated by regression analysis, showing a tendency to increase expertise in coffee exports from 2015.

This study provides a comprehensive and recent analysis of the international coffee market structure and competitiveness, contributing to the analysis of the international market of the product.

The present study provides evidence on export advantages of horticultural commodities based on competitiveness, trade balance and seasonality dimensions.

The study delineated horticultural commodities in terms of comparative advantage, examined temporal shifts in export advantages (mapping) and estimated seasonality. Product mapping was carried out using the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) and Trade Balance Index (TBI). Seasonal advantages were examined through a graphical approach along with the objective tests, namely, modified QS-test (QS), Friedman-test (FT) and using a seasonal dummy.

Cucumbers/gherkins, onions, preserved vegetables, fresh grapes, shelled cashew nuts, guavas, mangoes, and spices emerged as the most favorable horticultural products. India has a strong seasonal advantage in dried onions, cucumber/gherkins, shelled cashew nut, dried capsicum, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. The untapped potential in horticulture can be addressed by handling the trade barriers effectively, particularly the sanitary and phytosanitary issues, affecting the exports. Proper policies must be enacted to facilitate the investment in advanced agricultural technologies and logistics to ensure the desired quality and cost effectiveness.

Commodity-specific studies on value chain analysis would provide valuable insights into the issues hindering exports and realizing the untapped export potential.

There is no holistic and recent study illustrating the horticulture export advantages covering a large number of commodities in the Indian context. The study would be helpful to the stakeholders for drawing useful policy implications.