Structural change and export diversification: A comparison of CARICOM’s position

This paper presents an analysis of structural transformation with respect to the CARICOM region’s export sophistication and diversification dynamics. Trends in the data indicate that CARICOM, in relation to other country groups, has the lowest number of active export lines. The region also has a low number of commodities with comparative advantage, and an almost negligible number of highly sophisticated exports. The factors affecting export diversification were also evaluated in relation to resource and factor endowments, the regulatory environment and the degree of technical progress. The overall results, from a global perspective, indicate that countries which are technically advanced tend to have a higher degree of export diversification while resource reliant economies are shown to be less diversified. In terms of CARICOM, structural factors and technical progress significantly explain diversification, however as the ease of doing business improves, these countries tend to become more specialized therefore highlighting the tendency to focus on sectors in which they are relatively strong given their factor endowments.