Seyed Aziz Arman; Nahid Kord Zangeneh
Volume 9, Issue 30 , April 2007, , Pages 93-118
Abstract
This paper analyzes the industrial activities and their actual comparative advantages in Khuzestan province using two digits ISIC cods and DRC criterion for the period 1377-82 (1998-2003). The results show that international competitiveness of industrial activities has been improved since 1381, the time ...
Read More
This paper analyzes the industrial activities and their actual comparative advantages in Khuzestan province using two digits ISIC cods and DRC criterion for the period 1377-82 (1998-2003). The results show that international competitiveness of industrial activities has been improved since 1381, the time of implementation of exchange rate unification and relative economic liberalization policies in Iran.
This paper also suggests a simple decomposition of DRC measure to isolate the determinant elements of international competitiveness of some industrial activities under consideration. These elements are: (1) government intervention in economy, (2) factor cost, (3) factor proportions and (4) total factor productivity. The results imply that alleviation of the size of government interventions in economy has the most important role in improving the competitiveness of industrial activities in most cases.
Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini; Ehsan Ehtiyati
Volume 8, Issue 28 , October 2006, , Pages 169-193
Abstract
The competitiveness assessment of products for a country can be done by measuring advantage indicators. The concept of advantage in international trade, has been developed in accordance with circumstances, meanwhile the measurement indicators of advantage have evolved. In this regard, due to the important ...
Read More
The competitiveness assessment of products for a country can be done by measuring advantage indicators. The concept of advantage in international trade, has been developed in accordance with circumstances, meanwhile the measurement indicators of advantage have evolved. In this regard, due to the important role of methanol in the Iranian petrochemical investment, Production (7/5 million tons in 2009) and export (255 millions, in 2004), this article concentrates on measuring Iran's advantage in methanol products.
In this line, the evolution of advantage theories, from traditional (comparative advantage) to modern (competitive advantage) will be presented. Then, the indicators of comparative advantage and competitive advantage will be introduced. To calculate Iran's methanol products competitive advantage, four indicators including DRC, RCA, CMS and TM are measured .DRC is less than unit , meaning that Iran's Methanol Products have comparative advantage. RCA is obtained more than unit , indicating that methanol products are able to compete in international trade. CMS shows that, competitiveness of Iran's methanol products are increasing and TM indicates that Iran's methanol products belong to winners group in a progressive markets. Therefore, the findings indicate that, not only on the base of domestic resource opportunity cost criteria, but also by considering trade information, Iran's methanol products benefit from competitiveness or competitive advantage. Finally, factors affecting competitive advantage of Iran's methanol are analyzed in the Porter's framework.
Abolghasem Mahdavi; Mehran Malekshahian
Volume 6, Issue 21 , February 2005, , Pages 91-113
Abstract
To measure the comparative advantage, different indexes have been suggested by economists. In this paper we investigate the “revealed comparative advantage” for the products of the Iranian Petrochemical Industry using the Ballasa and Vollrath index. The results show that Iran ...
Read More
To measure the comparative advantage, different indexes have been suggested by economists. In this paper we investigate the “revealed comparative advantage” for the products of the Iranian Petrochemical Industry using the Ballasa and Vollrath index. The results show that Iran gains comparative advantage in exporting the products of petrochemical industry. The share of these exports from the whole manufacturing exports of the country, based on the paper’s calculation results, is shown to be increasing.
Hassan Kalbasi; Vali Gerivani
Volume 5, Issue 17 , February 2004, , Pages 99-124
Abstract
The issue of Iran’s Accession to WTO has been widely discussed in academic, business and political cycles of the nation Significant questions have been raised from industrialists and policy makers, as to the efficiency and competitiveness of new Iranian firms, and their comparative ...
Read More
The issue of Iran’s Accession to WTO has been widely discussed in academic, business and political cycles of the nation Significant questions have been raised from industrialists and policy makers, as to the efficiency and competitiveness of new Iranian firms, and their comparative advantages in the world market. The role of government policies for promotion of competitive industries has also been discussed.
So, this paper presents a method which draws on economic theory to measure cost competitiveness and its sources at the firm and industry levels. The concept of competitiveness that we use in the present study is one of cost competitiveness as measured by unit cost ratio. In other words, a firm or an industry is deemed to be competitive if its unit costs are less than or equal to the unit costs of its domestic or international rivals before or after joining to WTO.
Also this study focuses on the sources of competitive advantage. Two types of them are distinguished: first, the real sources of competitiveness such as factor productivity and factor abundance, which many lead to comparative advantage, and second, various price distortions of products and factors of productions, which may either enhance or diminish competitiveness. To do so we measure and analyze the cost competitiveness of “Mobarake Steel Complex”. We will measure the cost competitiveness of this company in aggregate level at first step, and for every product at the second step.
