Exportações do Rio Grande do Norte: estrutura, vantagens comparativas e comércio intra-indústrial

The objective of the present paper is to examine the behaviorand the structure of the export sector of the economy of Rio Grandedo Norte from 1996 to 2006, and to identify the products of revealedcomparative advantage. The paper also seeks to measure levels ofexport concentration of products and destination markets, types oftrade, and export sectors that show strength. To achieve the objectivesof the paper, the intra-industry indices of GRUBEL AND LLOYD (1975)and the indices of revealed comparative advantage of BALASSA (1965)e LAURSEN (1998) were used. The indexes of product concentrationand export destination were obtained through the Gini-Hirchmna coefficient.The data was taken from the ALICEWEB system of the Ministryof Development, Industry and Trade – MDIC. The results revealed ahigh concentration of few primary products and destination markets,along with weak participation in the export of manufactured products.The study points out that the international trade of the State of RioGrande do Norte is basically inter-industrial; that is, it exports primaryproducts and imports manufactured products, characteristic of theHerckscher-Ohlin trade type. Among the group of products with intraindustrialtrade, the cotton group stands out, showing the importanceof the textile sector in the state’s economy.