Title: Tracing international competitiveness through official trade figures: the case of the Greek food, beverage and tobacco industries

Authors: K. Boura, G.P. Cosmetatos

Addresses: Section of Industrial Management and O.R., Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou, Greece. ' Section of Industrial Management and O.R., Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou, Greece

Abstract: This paper presents a methodology to decompose changes in foreign trade figures with a view to identifying and quantifying the effects of major contributing factors such as prices, physical quantity, quantity mix (structural change) and product quality. The methodology is applied to data on Greek exports and imports of manufactured food, beverage and tobacco products, 1980-1993. Issues of measurement and interpretation are discussed and conclusions drawn.

Keywords: trade figures; decomposition; structural change; international competitiveness; Greece; manufactured food; beverage products; tobacco products; foreign trade; exports; imports; prices; quantity mix; product quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1996.025507

International Journal of Technology Management, 1996 Vol.12 No.5/6, pp.639 - 649

Published online: 22 May 2009 *

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