Neutralizing Concerns and Mapping the Trade Competitiveness and Potential of Indian Export with RCEP Countries

Abstract

Much debate has surrounded India’s lack of interest in plurilateral regional trade agreements (RTAs) and its decision to opt out of the regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP). Against this backdrop, the article attempt to analyse the competitiveness and potential of Indian export items in the RCEP region. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index has been employed to study India’s trade competitiveness among RCEP nations between 2010 and 2019 using the WITS (World Integrated Trade Solutions) 2021 database. The study found that India has a comparative advantage in more than 9 product categories out of 16 studied in the article. The article also revealed India’s competitiveness in intermediate goods with the majority of RCEP countries. The analysis found a trade complementarity between India and the RCEP countries and the possibility of increased economic cooperation. The problem lies in the utilization rate and weak export competitiveness of Indian industries. Before signing a new FTA, it is imperative to improve the export competitiveness of Indian enterprises. Given India’s current trade balance, tariff structure and export competitiveness of Indian commodities, we believe India had little option but to withdraw from the RCEP.