Research on India-China agriculture trade dynamics: A comparative advantage analysis

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 30;18(11):e0294561. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294561. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the agriculture trade dynamic between India and China from 2002-2021. It employed the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) indices and various statistical analyses to assess the trade performance and provide an enhanced comprehension of the specialization pattern. The study has selected 45 agricultural commodities, categorized into seven sections according to the HS Nomenclature 2017. The findings revealed that India boasts a more diversified export portfolio compared to China, with a more significant number of agriculture chapters demonstrating a comparative advantage. Conversely, China's export basket is more concentrated, featuring fewer chapters with a comparative advantage but higher values of RCA and RSCA. The paper also identified the prospective areas for agriculture-trade cooperation and collaboration between the two countries and put forward recommendations. This research aims to offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and traders to enhance bilateral ties and mutual benefits in the agriculture sector.

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture*
  • China
  • India

Grants and funding

The authors received no speciffic funding for this work.