Comparative Analysis of Long-Term Foreign Trade Flow Patterns of Heavy Industrial and Light Industrial Goods

The main aim of the study is to examine the import-export specialization of heavy and light industrial commodities in twelve Anglophone and Nordic countries. The study compares and examines the long-term foreign trade flow patterns and trade-related emissions using two trade specialization indicators; The Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) index and the Normalized Trade Balance (NTB) by evaluating import and export data classified using UN Comtrade SITC Revision 1 methodology, using 1–5-digit codes, for the period 1970 – 2020. The study's findings do not support the idea that Anglophone and Nordic nations have become more specialized in importing or exporting heavy industrial items. Rather, the evidence points to the importance of natural resources like wood and basic metals in influencing trade patterns throughout time. They are continued to play a pivotal role in the trading patterns of high-income nations, highlighting their ongoing significance in the world of international trade. Therefore, it may be concluded that the observed increase in emissions associated with imports is due to factors other than changes in trade structure, showing a complicated dynamic affecting light and heavy industrial commodity trade.