Source: Author’s own calculation. Calculated from PC-TAS, UN.
are compared with ASEAN’s export structure. In the case of Thailand, for
Malaysia, followed by the similarity between Thailand and China. Among
trade structure among AFTA member countries. Competition within groups
Does AFTA Create More Trade for Thailand?
63
seems to be more evident than between groups. Japan and Korea exhibit
more rivalry in terms of their export structure. Singapore’s export structure
is closer to Japan’s and Korea’s, while Thailand’s structure is closer to
China’s.
3.2 Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) Rank
Correlation
The potential gains from a preferential agreement depend on whether the
trade patterns between Thailand and the other ASEAN countries are com-
plementary or substitutable. Spearman’s rank correlation between the Re-
vealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) is used to estimate gains/ losses from
trade. This correlation index shows the trade patterns between Thailand and
other ASEAN countries. Since Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA)
rank correlation is calculated from the RCA index, which measures the
competitiveness of the countries’ industries in the global market, the
positive values of RCA rank correlation coefficients indicate the similarities
of the trade structure between nations so that trade items between the coun-
tries are substituted for each other.
12
Conversely, the negative values indicate
a dissimilar trade structure. In other words, the traded items between coun-
tries are complementary.
13
Referring to Figure 1 below, the RCA rank correlation is shown on the
vertical axis, while the horizontal axis reflects Thailand’s
export volume as a
share of the country’s imports. The size of the circle represents Thailand’s
export volume. As the result, based on the analysis of RCA rank correlation
shown as a positive value, Thailand’s trade structure is found to substitute
those of other ASEAN countries. For example, the trade substitution be-
tween Thailand and the Philippines is about 45 per cent, it is about 33 per
cent between Thailand and Indonesia, and it is 22 per cent between
12 The formula of RCA is
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