Improving Export Competitiveness Research Articles

The impact of digital transformation on the quality and safety level of agricultural exports: evidence from Chinese listed companies

Enhancing the quality and safety of exported agricultural products and improving export competitiveness is the key to establishing enhanced competitive advantages in agricultural products, developing a trade powerhouse and realising high-quality development of agriculture. This paper uses the data of Chinese listed companies and Chinese Customs from 2007 to 2016 to discuss the effect and mechanism of digital transformation of enterprises on the quality and safety level of export agricultural products by using the staggered differential method. The study shows that (1) Enterprise digital transformation effectively improves the quality and safety of exported agricultural products, and this result holds after endogeneity, placebo and multiple robustness tests; (2) Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the quality and safety effect of enterprise digital transformation is greater for exporting to developed countries’ markets, non-state-owned enterprises and enterprises in the eastern region, in addition to bulk agricultural products and consumer-oriented agricultural products; (3) Mechanism analyses shows that enterprise digital transformation raises the quality and safety of exported agricultural products through technological innovation, product tracing, information sharing and quality assurance effects.

Trade Infrastructure and Export Competitiveness in the East African Community

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of trade infrastructure components: port infrastructure, telephone usage and electricity on the export competitiveness of firms in the East African Community (EAC). The study adopted the structural gravity model and the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML), a nonlinear estimation method that was applied in STATA on balanced panel data for the period of 2007 to 2018. Data was obtained from World Bank International Trade Centre (ITC) and World Bank development indicators. Results show that telephone usage, electricity and port infrastructure are positive and significant predictors of export competitiveness in East African Community partner states. The results of this study show that electricity usage, telephone usage and port infrastructure are important contributors to improving export competitiveness in the EAC. There is a need to examine the intricate nature of the EAC economy in order to further this study’s findings. The EAC partner states need to embrace deep integration by removing the behind-the-border trade barriers, in addition to other trade restrictions, to create a common economic space among member states. This will further shrink the delivery time and the tracking and tracing of exports hence improving the competitiveness of EAC exports within the region and outside. Also, common and harmonized economic policies and regulations can be implemented through mutual recognition agreements where countries agree to recognize one another’s conformity assessments.

Governmental pressures and firms’ export product quality: Evidence from China

This study explores the effects of government's fiscal stress on firms’ export product quality. Using a tax shock in China as an exogenous experiment, we find positive effect of local governments’ fiscal stress on firms’ export product quality. Dynamic analysis shows that our findings are robust. Moreover, we find that the effects of local governments’ fiscal stress on export product quality elevation are more prominent in firms with a lower degree of resource misallocation, higher industry competition exposure, and more well-educated staff. Our study may inspire regulators who are concerned with fiscal policy and firms aiming to improve export competitiveness.

Transmission Channels of FDI and Trade Openness on Export Competitiveness among (EAC) Members

This study determines transmission channels of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Trade Openness (TO) in improving the export competitiveness among the East African community member countries. Different from other studies, this study used both inflow of FDI and accumulated FDI (stock). The study finally applied Fixed Effect Model (FEM) cover the period from 2010 to 2019. On one front, the results revealed that FDI and trade openness are complemented with technological development and economic freedom. However, the results of the economic freedom and technological advances failed to enhance FDI stock effect to export competitiveness. Policy reforms to improve economic freedom, technological development, and human capital, strengthening the inter-relationship of the domestic sector with FDI and trade openness are required to improve export competitiveness among the EAC member states.

6대 과일 수출 결정요인 분석

This study identifies export determinants by constructing panel data related to the export of the six major fruits(apples, pears, peaches, grapes, tangerines, sweet persimmons) from 2005 to 2020. To this end, an export equation with export volume by fruit as a dependent variable is set, and recent fruit supply and trade conditions are included in the explanatory variable as the previous studies. As a result of empirical analysis through the fixed-effect model, the relative prices(wholesale price / export price), production, GDP per capita in the exporting country, number of exporting countries, labor cost share, and distribution margin rate have significant impacts on fruit exports. Based on these analysis results, strategies and measures to enhance the export competitiveness of six major fruits are presented. More FTAs to be signed in the future could be an opportunity to increase exports of Korean fruits. In addition, it is important to improve export competitiveness because an increase in fruit exports can lead to an increase in the income of fruit farmers. Therefore, specific empirical research and effective policy support should be continued.

Export logistics infrastructure and export competitiveness in the East African Community

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of export logistics components: shipment arrangements, timely delivery, customs quality, trade infrastructure, and tracking and tracing on export competitiveness of firms in the East African Community (EAC).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the Structural Gravity Model and the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML). PPML a nonlinear estimation method was applied in STATA on a balanced panel data for the period of 2007–2018. Data were obtained from World Bank International Trade Centre (ITC), World Bank Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and World Bank development indicators.FindingsResults show that timely delivery and tracking and tracing of exports are positive and significant predictors of export competitiveness in EAC countries. Conversely, shipment arrangements, customs quality and trade infrastructure have no influence on export competitiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study show that export logistics components of shipment arrangements, customs quality and trade infrastructure do not matter at the present in improving export competitiveness in the EAC. There is a need to examine the intricate nature of the EAC economy to further this study's findings.Practical implicationsThe EAC partner states should embrace deep integration by removing the behind the border trade barriers in addition to other trade restrictions, to create a common economic space among member states. This will further shrink the delivery time and the tracking and tracing of exports hence improving the competitiveness of EAC exports within the region and outside. Also, common and harmonized trade policies and regulations should be implemented through mutual recognition agreements where countries agree to recognize one another's conformity assessments.Originality/valueThis study explains the complex dynamic interactions of export logistics factors in the EAC using quantitative data and that this interaction has an effect on the export competitiveness in import-dominated countries with less harmonization in their trade policies.

The Importance of Global Value Chains in Developing Countries’ Agricultural Trade Development

The role of global value-added chains is growing in international trade. The development gap between highly developed economies and developing countries means that the only products with which less developed economies can compete on the international arena are agricultural products. Moreover, integration into global value-added chains is an important factor in achieving comparative advantages in trade and improving export competitiveness. The main aim of this article is to assess the impact of integration within global value chains on changes in the comparative advantage of developing countries in the global agricultural trade. The degree of participation of developing countries in global value chains (GVC) was assessed using data from the Trade in Value-added OECD–WTO database (November 2021 edition) by calculating domestic (DVA), foreign value-added (FVA), and revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indexes. The analysis covers the period 1995–2018 and 28 developing economies. The research showed that the foreign value added in the gross exports of agricultural commodities of developing countries was an important factor in strengthening their export position and the importance of integration within global value chains rises with increasing product complexity. In agricultural production, FVA in most developing countries does not have a significant impact on the shaping of the comparative advantage.

무기체계 연구개발사업에 있어 기술료 배분에 관한 연구

In line with the development of the defense industry and the national export incentive policy, overseas exports of defense products continue to increase, and contributions to the development of the national economy are increasing. Thus, the government has established a challenging promotion method of defense industry export and in order to improve export competitiveness, promoted policies such as exemption of royalty for exports, resulting in significant growth in export performance. However, new strategies to prevent the outflow of core technologies overseas, such as institutional strategy and collection and sharing of royalty, have become necessary. In this regard, improvement measures on the sharing and use of royalty, which are regulated by R&D institutions, should be prepared as soon as possible. Thereby, profits from large-scale defense exports should be managed to go to researchers who participated in the study and played a role. This is an opportunity for researchers to boost morale and be motivated, and this is why the policy direction should be redefined to benefit the nation and the people and to develop the entire research institute rather than individuals according to the characteristics of the defense R&D project. This study pointed out the problems of the current system in royalty sharing, and through foreign case studies, this study presented reference criteria for institutionalization, focusing on the sharing and use of royalty collected among pending issues related to technology exports.

Under pressure. Economic constraints, electoral politics and labour market reforms in Southern Europe in the decade of the Great Recession

AbstractEven when subject to comparable exogenous constraints during the Eurozone crisis and in its immediate aftermath, governments in Southern Europe have pursued distinct labour market reform agendas. What room for manoeuvre did governments of crisis‐struck peripheral countries really have in shaping their labour market reform strategies, and how can we account for the observed variation? We address these questions by making a twofold contribution to the debate on the political economy of austerity in the Eurozone periphery. First, through the first systematic analysis of all labour market and collective bargaining (CB) reforms implemented in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece over 2009–2019, we identify those elements of core labour market deregulation common across Southern European countries (namely, the loosening of employment protection for workers on open‐ended contracts and the decentralisation of CB to the firm level); and those elements of variation, both cross‐country and cross‐party, in the content of corollary labour market interventions that accompanied this core deregulation. Second, we explain these similarities and variations in reform outcomes as the product of the interaction of two factors: economic constraints and electoral dynamics. We argue that the implementation of the common core of deregulation is linked to the exogenous pressure to improve export competitiveness to which Southern European countries have been subjected since the crisis. Through the combination of survey data analysis and qualitative evidence, we then show empirically how the variation in the corollary measures accompanying deregulation is linked to the class composition of the electoral social blocs Southern European partisan governments rely on or aim to assemble. Based on this analysis, we identify four ideal‐typical labour market reformist strategies attempted by Southern European governments during the decade of the Great Recession. The analysis highlights that although domestic politics plays a crucial role in shaping structural adjustment under crisis conditions, not all reform strategies are equally viable within the framework of Economic and Monetary Union.

An Economic Study on Tomatoes Export Competitiveness in Egypt

Vegetables export in general and tomatoes crop in particular are facing serious challenges in Egypt with regards to declining competitiveness in global markets in addition to some other challenges related to the ability to penetrate global markets and the variation in prices for different importing countries. This is in addition to the variation in demand conditions in importing markets. Through reviewing the competitiveness indicators for this crop. the paper shows that the quantity and value of tomato exports was highly fluctuating during the period under investigation. The lowest value was recorded in 2000 and amounted to 1.7 thousand tons. The maximum value was recorded in 2013 and amounted 74.8 thousand tons. Since then. the variable showed high fluctuation until 2018 where the quantity exported reached 41.8 thousand tons. The exporting value also was fluctuating. It reached its lowest in 2000 and amounted to 454 thousand dollars while the maximum reached around 728.7 thousand in 2015. The value decreased to 488.6 thousand in 2018 while the tomato exports also fluctuated since 2000 till 2007 and reached its maximum in 2017 with around $1513 /tons. The value showed a fluctuating trend where it reached around $1169/ton. The Saudi market dominated the market with around 37.16% of total Egyptian tomatoes exports. whether fresh or frozen. The paper also shows that the export competitiveness index for tomatoes during the mentioned period is above unity which means there is clear export competitiveness in global markets. The average index value reached around 1.33. which means that this crop is one of the very important crops that efficiently competes in the global markets.The paper finally shows the penetration parameter is weak and that there is minimal increase in this indicator. This means that there is a possibility to increase exported quantities from tomatoes through studying the reasons behind the fluctuations and design some policies and export mechanisms that can improve export competitiveness and penetration rates.

Reforms of China’s exchange rate regime and the renminbi internationalization

Motivation: After four decades of very successful reforms, China has become one of the largest economies in the world. An important area of these reforms is the exchange rate system and monetary policy, which over the years has complied with economic objectives, in particular the promotion of economic growth by improving export competitiveness. The progressive liberalisation of the Chinese economy and its ever closer integration into the world economy require this policy to be adapted to changing circumstances. Aim: The aim of the article is to analyze China’s exchange rate policy from the perspective of the dilemma of choosing between using this policy to support export competitiveness and striving to internationalise the renminbi. Moreover, the author assesses the consequences of this policy for China’s economy and for the world economy. The study includes theoretical research (analysis of the literature and research reports) and empirical research (analysis of statistical data) using a descriptive analysis. Results: For many years China’s exchange rate policy has been focused on supporting economic growth by improving export competitiveness, resulting in both increasing internal imbalances and difficulties in stabilising inflation, as well as the accumulation of global payments imbalances. Since 2005 China has made its currency more flexible, so that the underestimation of the renminbi’s exchange rate has decreased. In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to support the internationalisation of the renminbi. However, the renminbi is not yet in rivalry with the US dollar as the dominant international currency, although the Chinese currency’s share as an international currency is increasing, which should have a positive impact on the stability of global financial relations.

Diagnostics of the Challenges and Potential Solutions to Improve Export Competitiveness in International Markets: The Case of Pakistani Readymade Garments Industry

Diagnostics of the Challenges and Potential Solutions to Improve Export Competitiveness in International Markets: The Case of Pakistani Readymade Garments Industry

Determinants and Macroeconomic Impact of Parallel Exchange Rate’s Premium in Sudan

Abstract This paper attempts to identify the factors that influence parallel exchange rate premium in Sudan during the period 1979–2014. In addition, the impact of parallel exchange rate premium on economic performance is examined; focusing on three key macroeconomic indicators namely, economic growth, inflation and exports. The empirical results show that parallel exchange rate premium is significantly affected by policy variables such as, real exchange rate, trade openness and money supply. The results also reveal that GDP growth, expected rate of devaluation, budget deficit and foreign aid are the most significant factors affecting parallel exchange premium. Moreover, the results demonstrate that parallel premium has a detrimental impact on both economic growth and export performance. Expectedly, the results show a positive association between premium and inflation rate. These outcomes are still hold under robustness checks, indicating that parallel exchange rate premium has negative consequences on macroeconomic performance in Sudan. Accordingly, the paper concludes with some policy implications that aim to narrow the spread between the black and official exchange rate as an important way out to contain inflationary pressures, improve export competitiveness, and boost economic growth. Keywords : Parallel exchange rate premium, macroeconomic performance, ARDL, Sudan JEL Classification : C3, F3, F4

A Study on the Effects of SMVEs Export Modes on Export Amount and Period

Purpose - This present aims to analyze the effect of export modes on initial export amount and time to export by selecting export modes among various success strategies and factors. Research design, data, and methodology - It surveyed 980 small and mid-sized venture enterprises across Korea. The export modes and its impact on exports through frequency analysis and cross analysis, and validated through a PPML(regression analysis applied the enterprise growth model) analysis. Results - Five export modes were investigated : direct export, indirect export, transfer from direct export to indirect export, transfer from direct export to indirect export, and parallel export to indirect export. It was found that SMVEs that exported directly from establishment to initial export had the shortest period, and also had the highest export price Conclusions - From a marketing point of view, it took an average of 1.6 years to switch from export directly to indirect export or directly export, and the reason for the export modes conversion was to supplement export specialists and improve export competitiveness. And the export amount and time period that SMVEs establishes and export is a significant factor in export success strategy and there has been few prior study in export modes.

Leveraging of Dynamic export capabilities for competitive advantage and performance consequences: Evidence from China

As the business arena becomes more global and therefore dynamic, organizations must balance their capabilities with the demands and the conditions of the international marketplace. This leads firms to trade off the development of more capabilities with the identification of core capabilities which can best improve export competitiveness and performance. Based on the Dynamic Capabilities Approach (DCA), we develop a model of four export capabilities, namely adaptability, innovativeness, unpredictability, and task-flexibility, aimed at achieving competitive advantage in foreign markets and enhance export performance. Based on a survey of 213 Chinese exporting organizations, we find out that innovativeness, unpredictability and task-flexibility are positively related to competitive advantage. Moreover, we uncovered that in the cases of adaptability, innovativeness and task-flexibility their impact on competitive advantage diminishes under higher levels of competitive intensity, however, for unpredictability this impact becomes negative. We also confirm the necessity of addressing competitive advantage separately from firms' performance.

No easy balancing act: reducing the balance-of-payments constraint, improving export competitiveness and productivity, and absorbing surplus labor – the Indian experience

As per the balance-of-payments constraint hypothesis, in an open economy, achieving a higher long-run rate of growth requires a country to reduce its balance-of-payments constraint through an improved export performance, and the production of import substitutes, which would lower the income elasticity of demand for imports. In developing countries, a sustainable and inclusive process of development also requires the generation of high productivity activities and quality employment. By focusing on the Indian case, this paper shows that even if a developing country manages to reduce its balance-of-payments constraint, concentrated improvements in productivity and employment may remain at the industrial level. Furthermore, a reduction of the balance-of-payments constraint may be more the result of an improvement in the net exports of services than an improvement in the external competitiveness of merchandise exports. Such a services-led reduction of the balance-of-payments constraint may not address the problem of generating large-scale quality employment and making the growth process more inclusive.

Export performance during economic transition in Mongolia

Whilst there is a consensus among economists that export-oriented development strategy is superior to inward-oriented strategy, doubts whether export-orientation can solve the problems of developing countries remain very strong. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this debate using the experience of Mongolia—the country, which was little known to the rest of the world until the early 1990s. Results suggest a significant rise in export intensity following the adoption of export-oriented strategy. There is strong statistical evidence to suggest that foreign investment and lower unit labor cost have positively contributed to export expansion in Mongolian manufacturing. Our findings also indicate that industry protection and the state ownership retard export performance suggesting further liberalization in trade and investment policy, and privatization of state-owned enterprises to improve export competitiveness.

The Application of Innovative Management Accounting Principles for Enhancing Profitability and Competitiveness: An Exploratory Study of Jamaican Manufacturers

This study represents the first in management accounting research in Jamaica which seeks to determine the extent to which innovative management accounting principles (IMAPs) are applied in the manufacturing sector. The aim is to determine if manufacturers in Jamaica are using IMAPs to improve export competitiveness and enhance profitability .The study also seek to determine the factors that prevent manufacturers from adopting these management accounting principles. Five manufacturing organizations were examined using an exploratory case study approach. Results indicate that companies adopting IMAPs have more reliable information for decision making, higher levels of profitability and competitiveness when compared with non- adopting companies.

Revisiting Exports and Foreign Direct Investment in Vietnam

Since 1986, Vietnam has undertaken various reform measures in the trade and foreign investment area. This paper finds significant contributions of world trade, and competitiveness and liberalization effects to Vietnam's export growth over the period 1997–2008. Vietnam's exports became more competitive and better complemented the import demand of Vietnam's trade partners. In addition, dynamic comparative advantage became evident in many products, but significant room remains for improving export competitiveness. Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows also increased and helped stimulate Vietnam's exports. FDI inflows have increased in both the short- and long-term, yet are only of a limited magnitude. This necessitates more effective measures to enhance the linkages between FDI and domestic enterprises.

Review of Trade Policies of India’s Major Trading Partners

India’s current share of the world merchandise trade is 1.1 % and Services trade is 2.7 %. In merchandise trade, India’s target is to reach 5 % of the world trade by 2020. Along with improving export competitiveness, it is also important to improve information base regarding trade policy regime of India’s main trading partners and identify areas which impede market access of Indian goods and services. The present report is an endeavour in this direction capturing the market access barriers faced by Indian exporters in its major trading partners and other select countries, 24 in all. The main export markets of India as reflected in the share of India’s exports are indicated in Annexure I of this report. The report is compiled on the basis of information obtained from four sources: (1) questions raised by India during the Trade Policy Review of its trading partners, (2) inputs provided by Department of Commerce, Government of India, (3) information obtained through media reports and industry sources and (4) concerns raised by the USTR and the EC on market access barriers in the markets of its trading partners. The market access barriers have been broadly classified into eight categories for the organizing of this report: SPSTBT issues, labeling issues, tariff issues, customs procedures, issues in services, intellectual property rights (IPRs), requirement of local content and other barriers. Market access barriers in India’s major trading partners are organized in this thematic manner.