Production and Trade Openness Effects, Market Concentration, and Comparative Advantage; Case study of Bangladesh’s Jute Exports in 1999–2024

B.S.B.A Kazi Mahabub Hasan, BBA

Diplomová práce

Abstract:

This thesis examines the performance of the jute export industry in Bangladesh between 1999 and 2024 based on three interconnected dimensions: the impact of production and trade openness on export earnings, the concentration of export markets, and the comparative advantage of Bangladesh in jute. The research applies a quantitative time-series study that uses secondary data from national and international data sources, employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), and Balassa Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index. The empirical findings indicate that jute production and trade openness positively affect export earnings, and the effects are statistically significant with an elasticity of 0.86 and 0.89, respectively. The HHI analysis depicts that the export market has been moderately concentrated since 2001 to 2024; however, since 2022, the export market has entered a phase of sustained high concentration with HHI at a record of 4095 in 2024, which indicates increasing reliance on a small number of importing countries. The RCA analysis validates the fact that there is an incredibly good comparative advantage in jute throughout the study period, though the index has declined substantially from peaks above 1200 in the early 2000s to around 400-500 in recent years. The results indicate that although Bangladesh is very competitive in terms of jute, the lack of coordination between the increased production and the stagnant export earnings, and the increased market concentration, presents significant challenges. The study is valuable in terms of literature because it offers a multi-method analysis of the determinants, market structure, and competitiveness of the Bangladesh jute exports.

Keywords

Jute export performance, Bangladesh, Bangladesh jute industry, Trade openness, Market concentration, Jute Production, Log-log OLS, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Revealed comparative advantage

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 1. 4. 2026

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: doc. Ing. Karel Malec, Ph.D.
• Oponent: Robert Koželský, externi

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Provozně ekonomická fakulta

Magisterský studijní program:
Economics and Management