Title: North European logistics flows with RIC: actor and national economy analysis

Authors: Olli-Pekka Hilmola

Addresses: Lappeenranta University of Technology, Kouvola Research Unit, Prikaatintie 9, FIN-45100 Kouvola, Finland

Abstract: Emerging market trade of Sweden and Finland is growing, particularly so with Russia, India and China (RIC). However, trade is far from balanced: Russian exports dominate all trade statistics, and trade deficits swell. Chinese trade in the beginning of the last decade was very beneficial, but rapidly it changed to deficits and Chinese manufacturing dominance. Indian relationship is still developing in manufacturing sector, since Indian economy has its strengths in IT and services. Research uses longitudinal survey data to examine logistics flow development between RIC and North Europe. Our findings show that in the near future situation stays put with China: North European companies continue to source and/or manufacturing products from China. Russia remains as 'a great opportunity' in the forthcoming future as it has done so also earlier. Indian logistics flows are starting to replicate Chinese unbalanced model, but lack volume.

Keywords: logistics flows; trade balance; Northern Europe; Russia; India; China; Sweden; Finland.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCI.2012.051063

International Journal of Services Sciences, 2012 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.294 - 312

Published online: 06 Sep 2014 *

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