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A Single Measure of Overall Export Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Satyendra Nath Chakrabartty

    (Satyendra Chakrabartty (corresponding author) is a Former Director, Indian Maritime University, Kolkata Campus, Kolkata, and a Consultant, Indian Ports Association, New Delhi, India.)

  • Deepankar Sinha

    (Deepankar Sinha is a Professor, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata Campus, Kolkata, India. E-mails: dsinha2000@gmail.com; dsinha@iift.edu)

Abstract

Exports are a lifeline to a country’s growth, and an overall index can describe its export performance. However, there is little evidence of a single measure encompassing all the relevant aspects of exports. A composite and multi-dimensional measure can aid in assessing the relative position of a country in the world list and identifies necessary policy interventions. The article proposes an Overall Export Performance Index that satisfies the principles of index formation—monotonicity, time reversal, robustness and an unbiased approach. The proposed index avoids selecting weights and scaling variables. It facilitates the identification of crucial indicators requiring the attention of policymakers, tracking the progress of a country across time and the computing of mean and variance of the index for a group of countries at a given time. An empirical comparison of the USA and India reveals that India registered better overall export performance than the USA from 2015 to 2018. The results suggest India’s need for reforms in existing foreign trade policies. JEL Codes: F1, F10, F13

Suggested Citation

  • Satyendra Nath Chakrabartty & Deepankar Sinha, 2022. "A Single Measure of Overall Export Performance," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 16(3-4), pages 278-308, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:mareco:v:16:y:2022:i:3-4:p:278-308
    DOI: 10.1177/09738010231153057
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Raksha Jain & Geetha Elangovan & Kishore Lakshminarayanan, 2025. "Do the Macroeconomic Determinants of Export Destinations Matter? The Case of Indian Black Pepper," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Edward Annan & Mensah Marfo & Eleazer Fianko Ofei & Theresa Adusei Peasah Aidoo & De-Graft Johnson Dei & Linda Anane-Donkor & Constance Phyllis Puttick & Eric Hope, 2026. "The influence of exchange rate fluctuations on Import-Export performance in ghana: moderated by hedging strategies," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-37, January.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

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