Competitiveness of the Largest Global Exporters of Concentrated Apple Juice

Abstract

Concentrated apple juice (AJC) is a globally traded commodity, with major producers such as China, Poland, and the United States supplying AJC to markets worldwide. The aim of this article is to determine the competitive position of the main global exporters of concentrated apple juice. It also seeks to analyze changes in their positions over the period from 2005 to 2023. Assessing competitive position is important for several economic and business reasons, including identifying leading exporters and recognizing both growing and declining markets. The competitive position was measured using Market Share (MS) indicators, Gross and Net Export Orientation indicators (Egr, Enet), and the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index. The results reveal significant structural shifts in global AJC trade. Most notably, China’s declining competitiveness, reflected across all indicators, led to its loss of market leadership. This raises questions about the reasons for this decline and whether it presents opportunities for other exporters. This signals a broader reconfiguration in the global AJC supply chain, driven in part by domestic economic changes, such as rising consumption and decreasing export orientation. Simultaneously, other countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, show varying degrees of competitive growth, with Moldova and Ukraine emerging as key players. These trends suggest a diversification of supply sources and a more fragmented competitive landscape. Although national differences persist, the analysis indicates that structural and economic transformations, rather than short-term price signals, are driving the evolving global competitiveness in the AJC market. The observed weak correlations between prior-year apple prices and RCA confirm that broader market and policy factors play a more decisive role.