Performance of natural honey export in brazilian states

Abstract

This work aimed to verify the export competitivity of the main natural honey-producing Brazilian states during 2002-2010. Thus, the Relative Position, Revealed Comparative Advantage, and Coverage Rate Indices were used. The data to calculate these indices were collected from the Foreign Trade Information Analysis (ALICE), and the Secretary of Foreign Commerce (SECEX). The main results obtained indicated that the states of São Paulo, Ceará, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná can be characterized as net exporters of natural honey during the period considered. These states, with the exception of Paraná, which recorded mean RCAI below the unit, present a revealed comparative advantage. Among these states, Rio Grande do Sul, despite having attained comparative advantage only after 2006, presents the highest competitivity gain during the period analyzed. Also, it is confirmed that the states of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, even having imports during some years of the series, are considered competitive in their import coverage.