Indicators of the Competitiveness of Egyptian Strawberry Exports in the English Market

Abstract

The foreign trade sector is considered one of the main ingredients of Egyptian economic activity. This sector derives its importance from its close connection to the development of the Egyptian economy, to provide the necessary foreign exchange sources to achieve and implement economic development programs and plans, by creating real export opportunities for exporters in global markets and raising the level of local production to face competition in global markets (Amira 2013). The research problem is represented in that despite the large market share of Egyptian strawberries in the English market compared to its counterpart from other importing countries, as the average imports of the English market from Egyptian strawberries amount to about 18.79% of Egypt's total exports of strawberries to global markets during the period (2018-2022), which shows the importance of the English market for Egypt as the most important importing country of Egyptian strawberries, Egypt's exports of strawberries to the English market do not exceed about 6.13% of the total imports of the English market from strawberries to global markets during the period (2013-2022) the average quantity of Egyptian strawberry exports during the study period amounted to about 23.45 thousand tons, and England ranked first in the quantity of Egyptian strawberry exports with an average quantity of exports amounting to about 4.41 thousand tons, representing about 18.79% of the average quantity of Egyptian strawberry exports. England is followed by Belgium, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Emirates ranked from second to sixth respectively, with an average quantity of Egyptian exports amounting to about 3.94, 2.64, 2.19, 1.91, and 1.56 thousand tons for each of them respectively that the penetration rate of Egyptian strawberries in the English market and each of Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Morocco as countries competing with Egypt in the English market was approximately 0.004, 0.0811, 0.0535, 0.0446, and 0.020, respectively, as an average for the study period, the geometric average for the export potential of Egyptian strawberries in the English market and in Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Morocco reached about 0.349%, 9.306%, 11.151%, 9.491%, and 2.072%, respectively, during the study period, which means the necessity of exploiting export opportunities and increasing the presence of Egyptian strawberries in the English market and raising Egypt’s share in front of competing countries (Ismat 2006).