A Comparative Analysis on Export Complexity and Export Technology Structure of Mechanical and Electrical Products between China, Japan and Korea

Abstract

Using the method of export complexity index, this paper calculates the export trade structure and technology content of mechanical and electrical products between China, Japan and South Korea from 2000 to 2016 based on the 6-digit code of UN COMTRADE database, and examines the differences between them in export technology complexity and export technology structure. The results show that although the export technology complexity of China’s mechanical and electrical products has been improved to some extent, it is still not high. Among the mechanical and electrical products exported by China, there are more products with low complexity and medium complexity, while Japan’s products with high complexity are obviously more than China’s, and Korea’s products with low complexity are less than China’s. Based on this, this paper puts forward some suggestions on upgrading the export technology structure of China’s mechanical and electrical products.