An analysis of the performance of Chilean agricultural exports (1994-2004)

Résumé 0

"The relative success of the Chilean economy is due in a largemeasure to the application by the government of exchange rateand market liberalization policies oriented towards the promotionof exports in both traditional and non-traditional sectors, in orderto turn them into an engine of growth. Farming in generalhas become a key component of the country’s economy. In thispaper, the performance of the agricultural sector exports for theperiod 1994-2004 is analyzed on the basis of indicators that accountfor specialization, commerce structure and competitivenessof exports. Altogether, seven tariff categories of the HarmonizedSystem (2002) were covered. In the analysis of export specializationthree indices were employed, namely, the revealed comparativeadvantage, the contribution to trade balance, and the intraindustrycommerce. The commerce structure was analyzed onthe basis of the share of exports of the selected items to the totalof exports. Competitiveness was analyzed with the use of indicesof sector participation and market share. The results show a highlevel of specialization of agricultural exports and an increase incomparative advantage for products such as avocados, grapesand wine. Concerning competitiveness, the study revealed an increasein market share in almost all the destinations considered.The weakest tariff categories in this regard are edible vegetablesand vegetable and fruit preparations, which so far have not beenable to position themselves almost anywhere."