Measuring the International Trade Competitiveness of China's Aquatic Products from 2008–18

Abstract

Tan, L.; Wu, C., and Qu, Y., 2020. Measuring the international trade competitiveness of China's aquatic products from 2008–18. In: Gong, D.; Zhang, M., and Liu, R. (eds.), Advances in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 106, pp. 157–160. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Since the 1990s, China's trade in aquatic products has accelerated, with an average annual growth rate of more than 20%. Although China is the biggest exporter and the third largest importer of aquatic products in the world, increasing aquaculture costs, falling market demand, and rising international trade barriers pose great challenges to the sustainable development of trade in China's aquatic products, especially after the financial crisis of 2008. This paper analyzes the international trade competitiveness of China's aquatic products from 2008 to 2018 through three indicators: the international market share index, the trade competitive advantage index, and the revealed comparative advantage index. It shows that China's export of aquatic products has been growing gradually since 2008, and its market share reached 15% in 2018. Compared with other important aquatic exporting countries, China's competitive advantage in aquatic products exports is only moderate. In the long run, to improve its competitive position in the world market, China must unswervingly pursue a high-quality development strategy to improve the supply capacity of high-quality and safe aquatic products.