Drivers of Export Similarity Index between China and advanced economies

Change since 2007, percentage points

The Export Similarity Index decreased 1.5 percentage points as the overlap in manufactured goods decreased 1.6 percentage points from 2007 to 2013. Since then, the Export Similarity Index has increased 7.4 percentage points as the overlap in chemicals increased 1.4 percentage points and the overlap in machinery and transport equipment increased 6.9 percentage points.

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The Export Similarity Index between China and advanced economies is computed as defined by Finger and Kreinin (1979). Advanced economies include all that are in the IMF World Economic Outlook’s advanced-economy group and report to UN Comtrade, excluding Hong Kong and Macao.

Chart: Benn Steil and Yuma SchusterSource: UN Comtrade, World Economic Outlook, authors' calculations