Assessing Türkiye’s fisheries trade competitiveness: A comparative approach with selected Mediterranean countries and Norway as a benchmark

This research examines Türkiye's competitive position in the Mediterranean region, focusing on a comparative analysis of the fisheries sector for the period 2006-2024 and comparing it with Norway, a global reference country. The study is conducted within the framework of two main areas of the Harmonized System classification: fish and seafood (HS03) and processed/packaged fish and seafood (HS16). The study utilizes the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index/analysis developed by Béla Balassa to identify export specializations among the selected countries. The findings indicate that Türkiye significantly improved its competitive advantage in the HS03 area after 2021, but did not experience a significant increase in competitive advantage in the HS16 product group; additionally, value-added production, processed and/or packaged seafood, and technology-integrated processes remained relatively weak. Furthermore, the processed seafood markets in Italy and Spain were found to exhibit strong, well-defined positions and strategic advantages. This study, which uses Norway as its primary reference country, has shown remarkable stability in primary production and therefore considers Norway one of the most stable countries in the world, consistent with studies in the literature. Morocco's improving performance has also been observed to create new opportunities for competition and increase competitiveness. Overall, the evidence suggests that Türkiye is adopting a more advanced competitive (processed) production model alongside its primary production-based model. However, it was also observed that this momentum is not progressing at the desired level relative to Türkiye's commercial potential.