Romanian Agri-Food Products Competitiveness – An Analysis Using Trade Balances and Unit Values: Did the COVID-19 Crisis Influenced It?

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Crisis after the Crisis: Economic Development in the New Normal (ESPERA 2021)

Abstract

In the present paper we explore the changes in the Romanian international agri-food trade competitiveness over two decades, from the pre-accession period (2002–2006) to present time (2017–2021). The methodology of Gehlhar & Pick (Agribusiness 18(1): 60–79, 2002) was used to classify the 24 HS agri-food product groups in four categories, according to the combination of trade balance values and differences between export and import unit prices, for both the EU and extra-EU trade flows. The results show that few product groups are truly price competitive (such as cereals and oilseeds) and remained so over the years, but some other products such as oils & fats, milk & dairy products or tobacco & tobacco products gained competitivity over the years by shifting their trade balance from negative to positive or by diminishing their export unit price. The analysis also showed that COVID-19 pandemic did not have significant impact on Romanian agri-food trade flows.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aiginger, K. (1997). The use of unit values to discriminate between price and quality competition. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 21, 571–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Easy Comext. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/newxtweb/. Last accessed 30 June 2022

  3. FAO. 2020 Food Outlook – Biannual Report on Global Food Markets: June 2020. Food Outlook, 1. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9509en. Last accessed 30 June 2022

  4. Gavrilescu, C. (2014). Evolution trends of the Romanian post-accession agrifood trade. In Ovidius University annals, economic and sciences series, XIV(1) (pp. 119–124). Ovidius University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gehlhar, M. J., & Pick, D. H. (2002). Food trade balances and unit values: What can they reveal about price competition? Agribusiness, 18(1), 60–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Jankune, K. G., Wagner, H., Gavrilescu, C., Rusali, M., Toderoiu, F., Bucur, S., & Bucur, C. (2015). Competitiveness of Hungarian and Romanian agri-food products in intra and extra EU trade. In V. Vasary & M. D. Voicilas (Eds.), Agricultural economics and rural development at the beginning of the programming period 2014–2020 in EU member states – Comparative analysis for Romania and Hungary (pp. 9–30). Primerate KFT for Research Institute of Agricultural Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  7. King, A. (1993). A note on export unit value indices in competitiveness variables. Bulletin of Economic Research, 45(1), 69–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kravis, I. B., & Lipsey, R. E. (1974). International trade and price proxies. In N. D. Ruggles (Ed.), The role of the computer in social and economic research in Latin America: A conference report of the National Bureau of Economic Research (pp. 253–268). New York Colombia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C:2019:119:FULL & from=EN. Last accessed 30 June 2022

  10. Ulff, J., & Nielsen, M. (2000). Price-quality competition in the exports of the Central and Eastern European countries. Intereconomics, 3–4, 94–101.

    Google Scholar 

  11. World Economic Forum. (2015). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/how-have-food-prices-changed-over-the-last-15-years/. Last accessed 30 June 2022

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Gavrilescu, C. (2023). Romanian Agri-Food Products Competitiveness – An Analysis Using Trade Balances and Unit Values: Did the COVID-19 Crisis Influenced It?. In: Chivu, L., De Los Ríos Carmenado, I., Andrei, J.V. (eds) Crisis after the Crisis: Economic Development in the New Normal . ESPERA 2021. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30996-0_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Navigation