Export Products Research Articles

Assessment of export potential and state of foreign food and agriculture trade in the world

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to assess the export potential of countries, to determine the directions of food export development and the place of Ukraine in it, taking into account socio-economic factors by applying the authors’ methodical approach.
 Methodology / approach. The article considers world food and agriculture exports, the export potential of countries is assessed taking into account socio-economic factors. The authors select and apply a combination of methods necessary to achieve the goal of the study, which characterize specificities of individual countries of the world: method of systematic generalization, dynamic series analysis, factor analysis, regression analysis, comparisons, rating evaluation, integral approach. 
 Results. With the help of factor and integral analysis of macroeconomic indicators, we established that the structure of world exports and the share of food and agriculture is depended on the level of development and specialization of countries. In particular, the share of food and agriculture exports of developed countries is smaller compared to developing countries. The Netherlands and Germany are the leaders of the ranking in terms of food and agriculture export potential. According to forecasts, based on current trends, the export of bakery products in Ukraine and Poland should increase in 2023 compared to 2020 by 32.7 and 21.6 %, respectively. Effective socio-economic development, balanced export policy, modernization of production and logistics will contribute to the growth of export of food and agriculture with high added value.
 Originality / scientific novelty. Based on the authors’ methodical approach, the work improved the integral indicator of export development and the ranking of countries by export potential, taking into account socio-economic conditions. Factor models were built and the factors of food and agriculture export development were determined.
 Practical value / implications. The improved methodical approach to evaluating the effectiveness of global food and agriculture exports provides an opportunity to establish competitive advantages in the market and plan exports. Developing countries will have the opportunity to make the right choice of export products, which will provide them with added value and an increase in supply volumes.

Reduction of microbial population of fresh vegetables (carrot, white radish) and dried fruits (dried fig, dried peach) using atmospheric cold plasma and its effect on physicochemical properties

Non-observance of hygiene principles during storage causes excessive growth of microorganisms in these products and the return of export products to the manufacturer. The purpose of this research is to examine the antimicrobial effects of the jet cold plasma device and its impact on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of a carrot, white radish, dried fig, and dried peach. For this purpose, the samples were inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7, Enterococcus faecalis, and Aspergillus niger. Then samples were treated with atmospheric cold plasma in the form of a jet probe and DC pulse source with 17 KV and 2.26A for 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 min. The results showed that the rate of inactivation of microorganisms increases with increasing exposure time to atmospheric cold plasma. The maximum reduction of the microbial load was observed at 17 kV and 12 min. The resistance of microorganisms in dried fig and dried peach was higher than in carrot and white radish due to lower humidity. Also, A. niger showed the highest resistance to cold plasma compared with E. coli O157:H7, and E. faecalis. By comparing the average indices of a, and b, no significant change was observed between the treated and the control samples (p > 0.05). The texture structure remained intact after plasma application, and the plasma had no destructive effect on the texture. The samples treated with cold plasma did not show a significant effect on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of different food products. Therefore, atmospheric cold plasma technology can be used as an efficient maintenance technique to enhance the shelf life of food products.

Corporate financing constraints and export product quality: based on the perspective of dual institutional differences

Corporate financing constraints and export product quality: based on the perspective of dual institutional differences

International Patent Cooperation, Patent Prosecution Highway Agreements, and Export Product Quality

AbstractThis paper investigates how international cooperation for patent examination using Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreements has affected the quality of firms' exports. Taking the PPH agreements signed between China and the export destinations as a quasi‐natural experiment, we established a difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences model. We found that international cooperation for patent examination caused firms to increase export quality to PPH partners in patent‐intensive industries to a greater extent. This effect was more profound among PPH partners with stronger intellectual property protection, differentiated products and core products, and agreements along with the Patent Cooperation Treaty. We also found that PPH agreements increased the number of Chinese patent applications filed in PPH partners, patent applications by PPH partners in China, and the level of innovation, all of which constitute the major channels through which export quality to PPH partners increases. Our findings demonstrate that international patent cooperation has played an important role in promoting international trade quality.

Towards a diversified agricultural forest-based economy: Community views of planting sandalwood in Timor-Leste

With growing awareness that export revenues derived from non-renewable oil and gas resources are in decline, Timor-Leste seeks to develop a more sustainable and diversified economy. Sandalwood holds significant cultural, economic and historical importance for the Timorese people, and is representative of an internationally competitive export product. Livelihood diversification can alleviate the prevalence of poverty among smallholders in Timor-Leste. Within this context, and with a focus on forestry, we sought to determine the institutional support and smallholder interest and capacity for restoring over-exploited sandalwood. Interviewed households were acutely aware of the high value and benefits derived from sandalwood and expressed strong interest in planting the species for income generation. Land tenure security, essential for long-term forestry investments, was high among those surveyed and not considered a limitation. Improved forestry extension can address many of the respondent-identified risks which were biophysical (lack of water, pests, livestock, and fire destruction). Legal marketing of planted sandalwood, which is currently prohibited, can help growers maximise benefits from their investments and provide a market signal to stimulate wider planting of sandalwood among smallholders.

Heterogeneous effect of exchange rates on firms’ exports: Role of labor intensity

Using an extensive firm-level database that combines balance sheet information, social security registry and customs data, we examine whether the relationship between the exchange rate and exports change with the degree of labor-intensity of production. The results based on manufacturing firms in Türkiye suggest that the sensitivity of labor-intensive firms to the exchange rate is higher than that of the less labor-intensive ones, both at the intensive and extensive margins of exports. In addition, export product variety and export market variety of the labor-intensive firms increase more than the others during a currency depreciation. In particular, the increase in the exports of the labor-intensive firms is 2.7 percent higher than the increase in exports of the non-labor-intensive firms in case of a 10 percent decline in the real effective exchange rate. However, we do not find a significant impact on the export prices varying across the labor-intensity of the firms. Our results are robust to alternative definitions of labor-intensity and exchange rates, and the use of different time spans.

Dynamics of Trade Specialization and Performance of SAFTA: A Case Study of Afghanistan

The idea that regional integration is the podium of economic growth dates back a long time. Even now, a plethora of literature confirms a strong and positive link between regional integration and economic growth. However, most of these studies are focused on developed countries. Indeed, literature from developing countries is scant, and that from underdeveloped and landlocked countries like Afghanistan is almost non-existent. In the context of South Asian Free Trade Agreement, this article endeavours to innovatively scrutinize the trends in exports, imports and trade at different industry levels in the trade specialization of Afghanistan. At the harmonized standard 6-digit level of product classification, the study has employed the Lafay Index approach. The study finds that Afghanistan has a greater affinity for resource-intensive manufacturing products and non-fuel primary commodities. The study suggests that Afghanistan should confront issues such as its trade deficit, its dependency on agricultural products for export and the underutilization of its natural resources. The results show that Afghanistan still has a competitive disadvantage over South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) members at different industry levels. The study recommends dealing with problems including technology diffusion, product diversity and quality sophistication at various industrial levels, which restrict a higher degree of trade specialization. JEL Codes: F1, F10, F14

Non-Traditional Agricultural Export Performance in Ghana. Exporting SMEs’ Characteristics, Export Mode, and Institutions

Increasing focus of African economies, including Ghana, on non-traditional agricultural exporting (NTAE) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to counter declining earnings from traditional exports fall short to expectation. This study investigates this gap by looking at unstructured data, and the drivers of NTAE SMEs that can enhance performance and support sector policy initiatives. The research question to be answered is: Which SME characteristics, export mode and institutions (services and finance) are positively related to export performance in the NTAE sector in Ghana? This study applied PLS SEM analysis. The drivers of significance are export knowledge, corporate governance, product development, and professional and technical support. Although building social networks and export modes were found to be significant, they negatively affected the export performance. The cost implications limit the research to a cross-sectional study. Perceived export performance was used because the respondents did not provide export statistics. Most research on NTAEs in Ghana has focused on either subsectors or SMEs. This study adds value by focusing on SMEs in the NTAE sector, providing insights to policymakers and the government for intervention and policy formulation. Government policy implications include direct investments in shipping and air freight, tax rebates, concessions, and access to finance for NTAE SMEs. Managerial implications show that knowledge of export processes, export market regulations, and international consumer preferences is essential

Daya Saing Biji Kakao di Pasar Malaysia

Di pasar Malaysia, biji kakao Indonesia bersaing dengan biji kakao dari negara-negara di Afrika Barat yang memiliki standar kualitas yang tinggi dan lebih disukai oleh konsumen. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui nilai ekspor, produksi, produktivitas kakao, posisi perdagangan dan daya saing biji kakao Indonesia dengan pesaingnya di negara-negara Afrika Barat (Pantai Gading, Ghana, dan Nigeria). Metode penelitian ini menggunakan Trade Specialization Index (TSI), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Export Product Dynamics (EPD), dan X-Model. Data yang digunakan adalah dari tahun 2000 - 2020. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa posisi perdagangan biji kakao di Indonesia, Pantai Gading, dan Ghana berada pada posisi pertumbuhan ekspor (nilai TSI meningkat antara 0-1). Sementara itu, Nigeria berada pada posisi kematangan ekspor (nilai ISP menurun antara 0 - 1). Rata-rata indeks RCA biji kakao: a). Indonesia = 3,92 ; b). Pantai Gading = 1,44; c). Ghana = 7,28; dan d). Nigeria = 173,13. Berdasarkan hasil EPD, Indonesia berada di posisi Lost Oppurtunity, Pantai Gading di posisi Falling Star, Ghana di posisi Retreat, dan Nigeria di posisi Rising Star.

A genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of soybean and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens reveals the cost-benefit of nitrogen fixation.

Nitrogen-fixing symbioses allow legumes to thrive in nitrogen-poor soils at the cost of diverting some photoassimilate to their microsymbionts. Effort is being made to bioengineer nitrogen fixation into nonleguminous crops. This requires a quantitative understanding of its energetic costs and the links between metabolic variations and symbiotic efficiency. A whole-plant metabolic model for soybean (Glycine max) with its associated microsymbiont Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens was developed and applied to predict the cost-benefit of nitrogen fixation with varying soil nitrogen availability. The model predicted a nitrogen-fixation cost of c. 4.13 g C g-1 N, which when implemented into a crop scale model, translated to a grain yield reduction of 27% compared with a non-nodulating plant receiving its nitrogen from the soil. Considering the lower nitrogen content of cereals, the yield cost to a hypothetical N-fixing cereal is predicted to be less than half that of soybean. Soybean growth was predicted to be c. 5% greater when the nodule nitrogen export products were amides versus ureides. This is the first metabolic reconstruction in a tropical crop species that simulates the entire plant and nodule metabolism. Going forward, this model will serve as a tool to investigate carbon use efficiency and key mechanisms within N-fixing symbiosis in a tropical species forming determinate nodules.

How can artificial intelligence boost firms' exports? evidence from China.

This paper explores the impact of artificial intelligence and industrial robots on firms' export behaviour and divides the impact mechanism into the productivity effect and labour substitution effect. It examines the effect of industrial robots on firms' export value by using Chinese Customs data, Chinese Industrial Firm data and robot data from the International Robot Federation (IRF). The main findings are as follows: Firstly, the impact of artificial intelligence and industrial robots on Chinese firms' export value is generally negative, which means the negative labour substitution effect dominates the positive productivity effect. Secondly, the impact of artificial intelligence varies significantly by industry, and the export value of firms from high-tech industries benefits from the use of industrial robots. Thirdly, the impact of artificial intelligence on firms' export value also varies by time; before 2003, the use of industrial robots showed mainly an inhibiting effect on firms' exports, which turned into a driving effect thereafter, and after 2006, industrial robots began to significantly promote firms' export. Finally, the higher the quality of export products, the more likely the use of industrial robots will be to promote firms' export value, and the higher the capital-labour ratio is, the more likely firms' export value will be to benefit from the use of artificial intelligence and industrial robots. On the basis of these findings, this study proposes promoting the productivity effect to dominate the labour substitution effect through technological progress and the improvement of export product quality.

The Effect of Carbon Sink Afforestation Projects on China’s Forest Product Export Trade: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Microenterprises

Forestry carbon sinks are an important measure for enabling China to cope with global climate change and realize its “double carbon” goal. Carbon sink afforestation projects (CSAPs) are a type of forestry carbon sink projects, and the question of whether China’s forest products with an export orientation can adapt to the requirements of high-quality development is important for balancing the relationship between emissions reduction and development. We use the micro-data of forest product export enterprises provided by the China Customs Database and construct a difference-in-difference (DID) model to investigate the impact of CSAPs on China’s forest product export and its heterogeneity. The results show that CSAPs significantly increase the export scale of China’s forest products. CSAPs lead to significant heterogeneity regarding the forest product export scale in relation to regions, production factor intensity, trade pattern, enterprise ownership, and export destination countries. We further find that although the implementation of CSAPs significantly reduces the export types of forest products, it significantly promotes an increase in the export price and the expansion of the export quantity of forest products, and it optimizes the export structure of forest products to some extent. The “Belt and Road” initiative (BRI) has played a significant positive role in regulating the expansion of the forest product export scale with CSAPs. The implementation of CSAPs reduces the risk of termination of trade relations among forest product export enterprises and extends the export duration. The conclusions provide implications for policy makers and managers of forest product enterprises.

Research on the Impact of Low-carbon City Pilot Policies on the Quality of Urban Export Products: Based on Porter Hypothesis

Research on the Impact of Low-carbon City Pilot Policies on the Quality of Urban Export Products: Based on Porter Hypothesis

COMPETITIVENESS OF THE POLISH AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS IN THE EXPORT TO THE WORLD MARKET

The aim of the article is to assess the competitiveness of the Polish agri-food products in exports to the world market in 2018-2022. The study analysed the value, rate of change, structure and main directions of exports and imports of agri-food products (excluding beverages). Three quantitative indicators characterising export competitiveness were also used: market share, import export coverage and intra-industry trade. The source of the data was the United Nations database UN COMTRADE. The Standard International Trade Classification (SITC Rev 3) at the two-digit level was used. The time scope of the research covered the years 2018-2022. The research shows that in the analysed period, there was a clear increase in the value of food exports from Poland, which resulted in an improved market share and promotion in the ranking of global food exporters. Germany was the largest trading partner. A decrease in the importance of the UK and Russia in exports and an increase in the importance of Ukraine in food imports were observed. The meat and meat products department was characterised by the highest export competitiveness on the world market.

Entrepreneurship and Export Product Quality Improvement

Entrepreneurship is the sustainable driving force and stable source of economic development, and it is an important guarantee for the continuous improvement of export product quality and high-quality economic development. This paper selects entrepreneurship and export product quality as research objects. It measures the export product quality at the enterprise level using data from the China Industrial Enterprise Database and the China Customs Import and Export Trade Database. Furthermore, based on matching entrepreneurship at the macro-level and the export product quality at the micro-level, the impact and mechanism of entrepreneurship on the export product quality are empirically examined. It was found that entrepreneurial innovation and entrepreneurship further significantly contribute to the improvement of export product quality by promoting the total factor productivity of enterprises. Entrepreneurial innovation and entrepreneurship do not significantly contribute to the export product quality of state-owned and collective enterprises, while they significantly contribute to privately-owned, independent legal entities, Hong Kong–Macao–Taiwan, and foreign-funded enterprises. Furthermore, the promoting effect on privately-owned and independent enterprises is greater than that on Hong Kong–Macao–Taiwan and foreign-funded enterprises. Further analysis shows that improving the rule of law, reducing excessive government intervention, and improving the market mechanism for products and production factors, as well as vigorously developing the non-state-owned economy, will all be conducive to the cultivation and development of entrepreneurs and better promotion of the improvement of export product quality.

Economic Analysis of the Coffee Market in Rwanda

Coffee contributes significantly to the economy of Rwanda as a major export product and the livelihood of thousands of Rwandans. As such, the government of Rwanda has taken great strides to develop the coffee production sector particularly in developing infrastructure impacted by the genocide and implementing policies to ensure sustainable growth. This study aimed to give an economic analysis of the coffee market in Rwanda. It examined the factors affecting the coffee market and identified the major in the market globally and regionally and used them as a benchmark for comparison. The study showed various measures being taken to increase the quantity of coffee produced including increasing the area of harvested coffee following a drop in area from a high of 55 000 hectares in 2014 to 21 700 hectares in 2019. Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Board implemented measures to improve yields and production quality through providing fertilizers, improving management of wash stations and engaging private stakeholders and NGOs to train farmers in smart agriculture techniques. Consequentially the quantity of coffee produced and exported improved between 2014 and 2019.

Cultural Product Adaptation and Export Performance: A Study of Chinese Online Novels

Cultural Product Adaptation and Export Performance: A Study of Chinese Online Novels

SOIL CONDITIONS AND EFFECT OF FERTILIZATION ON THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN AN ANDEAN COFFEE GRADIENT

Coffee (Coffea arabica and C. canephora) is an important agricultural export product in Ecuador, but yields reported at most coffee farms are low. The main reasons for this are a lack of understanding of soil nutritional status and fertilization management, which implies fertilizer misuse and results in gas emissions into the environment. In this study, the soil nutritional status of coffee plantations was evaluated along an altitudinal gradient of the Ecuadorian Andes as an indicator of soil fertilization plans. A total of 471 farmlands were selected and their pH, soil organic matter, and main macronutrients were determined. The impact of soil fertilization on nitrous oxide emissions was evaluated; for this purpose, an experimental coffee farm was chosen where different doses of mineral and organic soil fertilization were tested, and N2O emissions were determined. The results showed a negative correlation between soil organic matter, pH, and nitrate concentration with altitude. In all altitudinal strata, the nitrate concentration was higher than that of ammonium. In addition, a strong correlation was observed between soil organic matter and soil nitrate concentration. The amount of potassium decreased as altitude increased, whereas medium and high concentrations of available phosphorus were observed in all altitudinal ranges. However, significant statistical differences were found when comparing low mineral fertilization doses to organic fertilization. The N2O analyses showed that coffee plantations fertilized with mineral fertilizers emit from 300 to 1142 mg N2O m-2 into the environment. High mineral fertilization resulted in the highest N2O emissions, with statistically significant differences when compared to low mineral doses and organic fertilization. Therefore, it was concluded that changes in soil nutritional status were observed along the Andean gradient of coffee plantations in southern Ecuador, and that high doses of mineral fertilizer can have a significant impact on N2O emissions.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Bertholletia excelsa(H.B.K) bark extract

Bertholletia excelsais native to the Amazon Rainforest and is popularly known as the Brazil nut. It has socioeconomic importance due its nuts being a great export product. There are fewstudies in the literature regarding the biotechnological potential of its bark, although it is used in folk medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical constituents, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of B. excelsabark extract(BEB). Twelve substances were identified by LC/MS/MS, and cytotoxicity tests were carried out, as well as analyses of nitric oxide production and elimination of free radicals. BEB caused cytoprotection against oxidative stress in macrophages, increased HMOX-1 expression, overcame the antioxidant effects of GPx-1 and reduced its expression and was able to inhibit leukocyte migration in use peritonitis. BEB efficiently attenuated oxidative stress due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and, as such, can be used as a safe and effective source of a natural herbal medicine.

Identification Of Leading Sectors In Batam: LQ, DLQ, and Shift-Share Analysis

The purpose of this research is to find out which sector is the leading sector in Batam. This research uses LQ, DLQ, and Shift-share Analysis. LQ analysis shows that Processing Industry, Electricity and Gas Procurement, Water Supply, Waste Management, Waste and Recycling, Construction, Transportation and Warehousing, Accommodation, Drinking, and Food Provision, Information and Communication, and Financial and Insurance Services can fulfill domestic needs in Batam and export products from these sectors to other regions. Using DLQ, it is found that Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries have the potential for rapid growth and development. Using shift-share, Processing Industry, Construction, Information and Communication, and Financial and Insurance Services have rapid growth rates, good competitiveness, and are progressive. Based on these findings, it is expected that the Batam Government and the Head of BP Batam can focus development on these leading sectors, in order to drive economic growth.