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Explaining Diversification in Exports Across Higher Manufacturing Content — What is the Role of Commodities?

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Rieländer

    (OECD Development Centre, 2, rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France)

  • Bakary Traoré

    (OECD Development Centre, 2, rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France)

Abstract

This paper adds new empirical evidence to the recent literature about the ways countries develop strong productive capacities by analyzing the patterns of export diversification across different levels of manufacturing content. In addition to the measures commonly used to study diversification, such as the number of active export lines and measures of “discoveries in exports”, we propose two new filters based on the concept of revealed comparative advantage (RCA). We use trade data at the 4-digit level for 176 countries from 1992 until 2011, and we classify all the products into three manufacturing categories (unprocessed, semi processed and finished goods). Data confirms that growing countries continue to add new commodities to their exports basket until they reach around US$ 25,000 of GDP per capita. More interestingly, we found that for many countries expanding the spectrum of commodities exported with comparative advantage (RCA) actually contribute to boosting new productive capacities in manufacturing sectors. This finding is robust to different econometric models and different country groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Rieländer & Bakary Traoré, 2016. "Explaining Diversification in Exports Across Higher Manufacturing Content — What is the Role of Commodities?," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(02), pages 1-36, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:jicepx:v:07:y:2016:i:02:n:s1793993316500071
    DOI: 10.1142/S1793993316500071
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Export diversification; higher manufacturing content; role of commodities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies

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