Emerging Countries as the Main Destinations for European Value-Added Exports

Abstract

Nowadays, production chains may cross the borders of several continents in search of greater profitability. In order to more accurately calculate countries' foreign demand, value-added exports should be used rather than gross exports. This study takes the value-added exports calculated for European Union countries and uses extended gravity models to analyze the determinants of this trade, differentiating between countries according to the main destinations for their value-added, USA, Russia and China. The results reveal certain changes according to the economic period analyzed and the destination of the goods, with respect to key variables such as the wealth of the exporting country, the level of logistics performance and distance. In 2014, China registered an improvement in its position compared to Russia.