Abstract

RINCONADA CARBAJAL, Fermín; GARCIA FERNANDEZ, Francisco  and  SERNA HINOJOSA, José Antonio. Specialization and Comparative Advantage of the Citrus Sector in Mexico: 1990-2018. Econ: teor. práct [online]. 2022, n.56, pp.155-174.  Epub Apr 25, 2022. ISSN 2448-7481.  https://doi.org/10.24275/etypuam/ne/562022/rinconada.

The objective of this paper was to measure the level of specialization and competitiveness of the citrus sector in Mexico during 1990-2018. Consequently, the Location Coefficient (LC), Lafay Index (LI) and Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) were calculated for the period, and the results show that citrus farming is a specialized activity with high growth rates in the states of Colima, Nuevo León, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Yucatán, Michoacán, Campeche, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo and Tabasco. Likewise, the sector was found to have comparative advantages that position the country as a net exporter of these crops internationally, with the US market its main export partner.

Keywords : Citrus sector; international trade; comparative advantage; specialization.