Fuentes de Ventaja Comparativa y Complejidad Económica en Latinoamérica: Caso El Salvador

Abstract

Abstract:This paper analyzes the origins of comparative advantage and how they relate to El Salvador's economic complexity, in order to identify strategic sectors that can boost the country's export profile and its insertion into global value chains (GVCs). From a quantitative and econometric perspective, the country's performance relative to 15 international competitors was assessed using the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index and the Economic Complexity Index (ECI). The results show that the traditional strengths of sectors such as textiles, coffee, and sugar have not been lost, but they are also showing slow growth. On the other hand, sectors such as electronics, plastics, and processed foods are performing well. Policy development tools for productive diversification and innovation, with a more competitive, sophisticated, resilient, and sustainable productive economic structure in El Salvador, can be found in the policy section under the study.