Ester BİTON RUBEN
Comparative Advantage in Israeli Manufacturing Industry
1998
(Supervisor: Nazım Engin)

ABSTRACT

This dissertation deals with the examination of the structure and performance of the Israeli manufacturing industry and with the application of the Ricardian theory of comparative advantage and the theory of revealed comparative advantage to the food and beverages, textile, chemical and electronic products sectors. The period under consideration is 1970 - 1994 and the comparison is made with the same sectors in Turkey. One finding is that the export performance in Israel is related importantly to the ratio of skilled labor and R&D expenditures. Another finding is that the theories of Ricardian comparative advantage and revealed comparative advantage are in accordance only for the Ricardo and Heckscher - Ohlin products. This dissertation shows also that the degree of specialization is in parallel direction with the export performance.