Analysis on the Development Status of Guangdong Province's Aquatic Products Industry and Its Export Competitiveness

Abstract

Against the backdrop of intensifying global competition in the aquatic products trade, Guangdong Province, as a core region for both the production and export of aquatic products in China, holds significant research value in studying its development status and the evolution of its competitiveness. Based on production and export data from 2013 to 2023, this paper systematically analyzes the industrial foundation, market performance, and competitiveness characteristics of Guangdong’s aquatic products industry. The findings reveal that: On the production side, the total output of aquatic products in Guangdong has grown at an average annual rate of 1.46%, consistently ranking among the top three nationwide over the long term, although the growth rate has exhibited non-linear fluctuations. On the export side, although Guangdong has maintained its position as the leading exporter of agricultural products in China for many years, its competitiveness faces multiple challenges. The Trade Competitiveness Index (TC) dropped from 0.45 in 2013 to -0.19 in 2023; the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA) fell from its peak of 0.66 in 2021 to 0.51 in 2023. Additionally, the export market is overly reliant on traditional regions, while emerging markets, despite showing growth, have not yet formed a stable support base. Other prominent issues include a low proportion of high-value-added products, insufficient added value across the industrial chain, and more. Finally, the paper proposes targeted policy recommendations in areas such as technological upgrading, cold chain infrastructure development, market diversification, and industry standardization.