REVEALED TRADE ADVANTAGE OF THE SLOVAK AND CZECH REPUBLICS IN VEHICLES IN COMPARISON TO THE EU28

Automotive manufacturing is one of the Europe's growing industrial activities, it provides many jobs positions, huge amount of euros in investments, represents a large portion of the exports. In this paper we describe patterns of competitiveness for the Czech Republic and Slovakia over the period from 2011 to 2015 while differentiating between 16 product labels of automotive industry. To study Czech and Slovak competitiveness and its progress the applied index is measured: revealed trade advantage (RTA) including the export index of the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and import index of revealed comparative advantage (RMA). Also the index of trade openness (ITO) is used as an important indicator in terms of the competitiveness of countries as well. Using analyses we consider whether both countries are rivals for the EU28. Czech competitiveness lies in seven traditional, yet globally declining, product labels such as cars, spare parts and accessories for motor vehicles, public transport type passenger motor vehicles, bicycles and other cycles (non-motorized), spare parts and accessories for motorcycles and cycles, and partly chassis fitted with engine for motor vehicles since 2014. Slovak competitiveness lies only in five product labels such as cars, bicycles and other cycles (non-motorized), bodies for motor vehicles, tanks and other motorized armored vehicles and spare parts and partly chassis fitted with engine for motor vehicles till 2013.