| Abstract: | This study examines the structure, competitiveness and complementarity of agricultural trade between India and China during 2000-2004 using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), and Trade Complementarity Index (TCI). Using agricultural trade data from UNCOMTRADE, WITS and ITC Trade Maps, the study evaluates the comparative strengths of both countries across 24 agricultural product categories at HS 2-digit level. The results reveal a clear structural asymmetry in agricultural trade. RCA results indicate that India possesses strong comparative advantage in primary and semi-processed agricultural commodities, particularly cereals, spices, coffee, fish products, sugar and natural resins, whereas China demonstrates competitiveness in processed agricultural and food products. The TCI indicates that India’s agricultural export structure is more strongly aligned with China’s import demand than the reverse, suggesting stronger trade complementarity for India. The comparative analysis of the three indices confirms that the two countries exhibit largely complementary rather than competing agricultural trade structures. The findings suggest significant opportunities for expanding India’s agricultural exports to China, particularly in sectors characterized by strong comparative advantages and growing China’s demand. |
