The International Competitiveness of Polish Fruit and Their Preserves

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the international competitiveness of Polish fruits and their processed products in comparison to those of major global exporters. The adopted research approach is grounded in the theoretical foundations of international trade. A comparative analysis allows for identifying key competitive advantages and weaknesses. Quantitative data analysis was employed to measure international competitiveness using key indicators such as Market Share (MS), Trade Balance, Competitiveness Ratio (CR), Revealed comparative advantage (RCA), Intra-Industry Trade (IIT), and Terms of Trade (ToT). These metrics were calculated based on data obtained from Comtrade, with results presented in a time-series format to capture long-term trends. An extensive literature review was conducted to examine the various definitions and frameworks of international competitiveness. The decline in the level of indicators that include imports in their formulas (CRs) may lead to an increase in the level of indicators that take exports into account (e.g., foreign trade balance and share in global exports). For example, a strong increase in the import of concentrated apple juice results in an increase in the export of this product and an improvement in the competitive position on the global market. The insights from these indicators can assist policymakers in developing targeted strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, such as improving production methods, negotiating better trade agreements, or investing in innovation and quality improvement.