한중 IT산업의 질적 무역경쟁력 추정

• Published in: 무역연구 Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 369 - 388
• Main Author: 한기조(Ki-Jo Han)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 한국무역연구원 28.02.2021; The Korea International Trade Research Institute
• Subjects: 무역학; Quality Index; Net Trade Comparative Advantage; Qualitative Trade Competitiveness; China
• ISSN: 1738-8112; 2384-1958
• DOI: 10.16980/jitc.17.1.202102.369

Purpose - The purpose of this paper was to estimate the qualitative trade competitiveness of Korea with China relative to the information technology (IT) industry covering the period from 2007 to 2017. Design/Methodology/Approach - We estimated a net trade competitiveness index, which eliminates comparative disadvantages from comparative advantages, and a quality trade competitiveness using the tornqvist index. Findings - In terms of general trade competitiveness, the IT industry has consistently a comparative advantage in trade with China, but the level of that has weakened since 2011. It also found that all product categories except computers and communication apparatus have continuous comparative advantage, but the degree of comparative advantage in all product categories has weakened except for equipment for manufacturing flat-panel displays. Moreover, results show that in terms of the Korea-China trade structure based on the quality of comparative advantage and disadvantage, Korea is mainly a trade structure that exports high-quality products and imports low-quality products. Finally, the results of measuring the quality change in export products show only slight quality improvements in passive components (of communication apparatus), parts, semiconductors and electron tubes, and the quality has improved in all but these product categories. Research Implications - Results show that as the comparative advantage of Korea has weakened since 2011 in trade with China, China is playing catch-up quite quickly in terms of semiconductors, flat-panel displays and sensors. In addition, the quality of semiconductors, electron tubes and passive components have improved only a little. This indicates that China’s catch-up is fast in standardized products and competition is intensifying. Therefore, efforts on the part of Korea are required to ease such export bias and take the technology gaps through innovation in the production process and R&D in non-memories fields as well as memories fields in IT industry. KCI Citation Count: 3