Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 11.10 China's revealed comparative advantage indices (NER) of
agricultural products by commodity group, 1992-2005
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Horticultural products
Processed agricultural products
Animal products
Cereals, v egetable oilseeds and oils
Raw materials f or textiles
Sources
: Author's calculaton. Data from 1992 to 2004 are from Unted Natons Statstcs
Division,
Commodity Trade Statistics Database
, COMTRADE. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/
comtrade/default.aspx. Data for 2005 are from Chna General Admnstraton of Customs
(various issues, 2005).
Zhongguo Haiguan Tongji Yuebao
[China Customs Statistical
Monthly Report], Zhongguo Haiguan Chubanshe, Beijing.
agricultural processing, which is a labour-intensive activity, has increased
slightly. Though declining, the RCAs for horticultural products and animal
products ndcate that these actvtes stll have comparatve advantage.
However, the RCA for animal products has moved close to zero. The RCAs
for the land-intensive agricultural products, cereals, vegetable oilseeds
and vegetable oils and raw materials for textiles, have declined rapidly,
particularly since 2003, and have become significantly negative. These
are the activities from which we will most likely see resource flows and
structural adjustment.
Figure 11.11 illustrates China's comparative advantage in labour-intensive
actvtes and ts comparatve dsadvantage n land-ntensve actvtes.
