IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/amerec/v52y2008i1p86-95.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

South Africa's Manufactured International Trade in the Post-Sanctions Epoch: Patterns and Potentials

Author

Listed:
  • Ross D. Weiner
  • Trevor Roxo
  • Mitchell Kellman

Abstract

We identify those sectors of the South African economy in which the country exhibits a comparative advantage. This is accomplished through the development of an index of Regional Revealed Comparative Advantage, based in the work of Richardson and Zhang (2001). South Africa's comparative advantage is associated with products servicing producers and high in capital intensity. The pattern of comparative advantage in South Africa differs from those patterns found to be typical of “developing countries in general, and from those describing the “flying geese†dynamic changes of East Asian NICs as well as other Asian countries. An important contribution of this paper is a demonstration of a high degree of compatibility of projected shifts in competitiveness patterns developed utilizing (solely) trade data and RRCA methodology with patterns developed (solely) utilizing relative unit labor measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Ross D. Weiner & Trevor Roxo & Mitchell Kellman, 2008. "South Africa's Manufactured International Trade in the Post-Sanctions Epoch: Patterns and Potentials," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 52(1), pages 86-95, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:amerec:v:52:y:2008:i:1:p:86-95
    DOI: 10.1177/056943450805200108
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/056943450805200108
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/056943450805200108?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexander J. Yeats, 1992. "What do Alternative Measures of Comparative Advantage Reveal about the Composition of Developing Countries' Exports?," Indian Economic Review, Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics, vol. 27(2), pages 139-154, July.
    2. Philip I. Levy, 1999. "Sanctions on South Africa: What Did They Do?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 415-420, May.
    3. Nicole Valentine & Gena Krasnik, 2000. "SADC Trade with the Rest of the World: Winning Export Sectors and Revealed Comparative Advantage Ratios," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 68(2), pages 114-124, June.
    4. Chen, Yi Vivian & Heston, Alan & Lipsey, Robert, 2000. "International and interarea comparisons of income, output and prices," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 363-364, December.
    5. Lawrence Edwards & Volker Schoer, 2002. "Measures Of Competitiveness: A Dynamic Approach To South Africa'S Trade Performance In The 1990s," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 70(6), pages 1008-1046, September.
    6. G. Ariovich, 1979. "The Comparative Advantage of South Africa as Revealed by Export Shares," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 47(2), pages 123-129, June.
    7. Merle Holden, 1993. "Lessons for South Africa from the New Growth and Trade Theories," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 61(4), pages 262-270, December.
    8. Deardorff, Alan V., 1984. "Testing trade theories and predicting trade flows," Handbook of International Economics, in: R. W. Jones & P. B. Kenen (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 10, pages 467-517, Elsevier.
    9. Yeats, Alexander J, 1998. "Does Mercosur's Trade Performance Raise Concerns about the Effects of Regional Trade Arrangements?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 12(1), pages 1-28, January.
    10. Blomstrom, Magnus & Goldberg, Linda S. (ed.), 2001. "Topics in Empirical International Economics," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226060835, December.
    11. Justin Barnes & Raphael Kaplinsky, 2000. "Globalization and the Death of the Local Firm? The Automobile Components Sector in South Africa," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(9), pages 797-812.
    12. L. David, Byron & H. Kellman, Mitchell, 1997. "Scale Economies and International Trade in a Rapidly Growing Region," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 12, pages 26-46.
    13. Thomas Vollrath, 1991. "A theoretical evaluation of alternative trade intensity measures of revealed comparative advantage," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 127(2), pages 265-280, June.
    14. Arye Hillman, 1980. "Observations on the relation between “revealed comparative advantage” and comparative advantage as indicated by pre-trade relative prices," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 116(2), pages 315-321, June.
    15. Edwards, Lawrence & Golub, Stephen S., 2004. "South Africa's International Cost Competitiveness and Exports in Manufacturing," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1323-1339, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Umar Fachrudin & Fithra Faisal Hastiadi, 2016. "Impact Analysis of Normalized Revealed Comparative Advantageon ASEAN’s Non-Oil and Gas Export Pattern Using Gravity-Model Approach," Working Papers in Economics and Business 201603, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, revised May 2016.
    2. Andrea Brasili & Paolo Epifani & Rodolfo Helg, 1999. "On the dynamics of trade patterns," LIUC Papers in Economics 61, Cattaneo University (LIUC).
    3. Jeroen Hinloopen & Charles Marrewijk, 2001. "On the empirical distribution of the Balassa index," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 137(1), pages 1-35, March.
    4. Dominika Choros-Mrozowska, 2020. "Changes and Comparisons in Pattern of Polish Chinese Trade within the “16+1” Format," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 327-342.
    5. Salvador Barrios & Holger Görg & Eric Strobl, 2003. "Multinational Enterprises and New Trade Theory: Evidence for the Convergence Hypothesis," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 397-418, October.
    6. Fertő, Imre & Hubbard, Lionel J., 2005. "Az agrárkereskedelem dinamikája - A csatlakozó országok esete [The dynamics of agri-food trade patterns - the accession countries case]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 24-38.
    7. Li, Kui-Wai & Bender, Seigfried, 2007. "Productivity and Manufacture Export Causality among World Regions: 1989-1999," MPRA Paper 36420, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Algieri, Bernadina, 2004. "Trade specialisation patterns: the case of Russia," BOFIT Discussion Papers 19/2004, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    9. Cole, Matthew A. & Elliott, Robert J.R. & Shimamoto, Kenichi, 2005. "Why the grass is not always greener: the competing effects of environmental regulations and factor intensities on US specialization," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 95-109, July.
    10. Bernardina Algieri, 2007. "Trade Specialisation Dynamics in Russia," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 49(2), pages 232-258, June.
    11. Jámbor, Attila, 2011. "Az agrárkereskedelem változása Magyarország és az Európai Unió között a csatlakozás után [The post-accession change in agricultural trading between Hungary and the EU]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 775-791.
    12. Esterhuizen, Dirk & van Rooyen, C.J., 2006. "An inquiry into factors impacting on the competitiveness of the South African wine industry," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 45(4), pages 1-19, December.
    13. J. David Richardson & Chi Zhang, 1999. "Revealing Comparative Advantage: Chaotic or Coherent Patterns Across Time and Sector and U.S. Trading Partner?," NBER Working Papers 7212, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Jambor, Attila, 2011. "Impacts of EU Accession on Hungarian Primary and Processed Agricultural Trade," 85th Annual Conference, April 18-20, 2011, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 108946, Agricultural Economics Society.
    15. Olivera Kostoska & Ilija Hristoski, 2018. "Trade Dynamics, Revealed Comparative Advantage, And International Competitiveness: Evidence From Macedonia," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 63(218), pages 23-60, July – Se.
    16. Edwards, Lawrence J & Garlick, Robert, 2008. "Trade flows and the exchange rate in South Africa," MPRA Paper 36666, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Mashabela, T.E. & Vink, Nick, 2008. "Competitive performance of global deciduous fruit supply chains: South Africa versus Chile," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 47(2), pages 1-18, June.
    18. Ufuk Gunes Bebek, 2011. "Robustness of the Proposed Measures of Revealed Comparative Advantage," Studies in Economics 1121, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    19. Nigel Nagarajan, 1998. "MERCOSUR and Trade Diversion: What Do The Import Figures Tell Us?," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 129, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    20. Andrey A. Gnidchenko, 2019. "The Conflicting Ways to Dissect Intra-Industry Trade," FIW Working Paper series 193, FIW.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:amerec:v:52:y:2008:i:1:p:86-95. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://journals.sagepub.com/home/aex .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.