Post-crisis trade trends in the European tomato market

This paper examines the European tomato trade through a two-dimensional system of indicators in order to analyse export profiles and trade trends of the main supplier countries. A new methodological proposal is presented for the visualisation of the results of the export performance analysis of producer-exporter countries called "competitor countries mapping". The global tomato market is characterised by being an intra-regional market where the main participating countries, both exporting and importing countries, are members of some Regional Trade Agreement. Due to the intra-regional characteristic of the tomato market, export performance is analysed through changes in export competitiveness and the balance between exports and imports, using the index of the symmetric revealed comparative advantage according to the specific demand and trade balance index approach. The combination of both indices results in a two-dimensional system that makes possible the identification of the profile of the supplier countries as leading, challenging, follow-up, catching-up, opportunistic or potential clients, within specific markets. Finally, by complementing the study with a temporary comparative analysis (pre and post-economic-financial crisis 2007/08), the "competitor countries mapping" provides relevant information to obtain the trade trends of each participating country, evidencing possible profile changes in the short or medium term. Results show that Morocco and Spain share a stable export profile as leaders in the European tomato market, being challenged by the Netherlands and followed by Belgium and Italy. Moreover, France is characterised as an emerging economy profile.