The Export Comparative Advantages of Vietnamese Industries in the Period from 2015 to 2020

This study identifies Vietnamese industries with export comparative advantages by calculating the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) indices for the 2015–2020 period, based on the Harmonized System (HS 2020) two-digit product classification and data from the UN Comtrade database. The findings indicate that Vietnam’s export comparative advantages are not limited to traditional sectors such as apparel, footwear, and food products, but also extend to electrical machinery and electronic equipment. Although comparative advantage indicators declined in 2020 for most industries, several sectors, particularly HS11 and HS61, experienced significant improvements from medium to high comparative advantage levels. These changes may be attributed to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which substantially altered the economy’s comparative advantages in the short term. The study also proposes several recommendations regarding production adjustments, industrial restructuring, and strategic planning to help different industries adapt during and after the pandemic.