econ and excel

Instructions for Finding Data to Calculate RCA Indices 1. Go to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Statistics Data Base (UNCTADSTAT): http://unctadstat.unctad.org/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx?sCS_referer=&sCS_ChosenLang=en

2. Make sure the selected folder (in the left column) is: “International trade in goods and services” 3. Click on “Trade structure by partner, product or service-category”.

4. Click on “Merchandise trade matrix, detailed products, exports in thousands of dollars, annual, 1995-2013” 5. Click the Excel icon in the menu across the top of the web page to download (save) the data. You now have data on total WORLD exports from 1995 – 2013. Copy column 1 and the data for

2013 (from the last column) into a new (blank) Excel spreadsheet. You only need to calculate RCA indices for 2013 (or the latest year for which data are available for your country).

6. Go back to the web site and click on the icon for “Select items to view” (in the upper left corner of

the web page, under the Table tab). It will say “Select items to view” when you place your cursor over the icon. Then choose “ECONOMY”.

7. Click on the “Customs Group” icon (in the upper left corner of the web page). It will say

“Customs Group” when you place your cursor over the icon. 8. Click on “Create compound group”. 9. Click on the “x” to the upper left of the country list to CLEAR all the selections, then scroll down to

click on the specific country you want. 10. Click “Save” in the upper left corner. Then click “Back”. 11. Click “Show Table,” and then the Excel icon to download (save) the data. You now have data for 1995 – 2013 on total exports for the specific country you have chosen.

Copy column 1 and the data for 2013 (from the last column) into the new Excel spreadsheet you just created (with the World data). Make sure all the product categories are lined up properly, when comparing the World data with your country’s data.

12. The data you have downloaded from steps #5 and #11 (and which you have saved in a newly

created Excel spreadsheet) will now allow you to compute RCAij = (X ij / X Tj ) / (X iW / X TW ) for your specific country.

13. After you have computed all the RCA indices (by using formulas in Excel), sort the RCA indices

from highest to lowest. 14. To get data for other countries (e.g., the U.S. or other countries you want to compare), go back to

steps #6 and #7. When you are in step #7, click on the red “X” to delete the “New Compound Group” before choosing another country. Then continue with steps #8 to #13.

15. In the first mini-report you submit (no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16th), you are required to

submit an Excel file (in the Drop Box in Angel) that includes the following: (A) Separate worksheets (in separate tabs) for your country and for the U.S. that show the correct

formulas used in calculating the RCA indices for each country. (B) A table (in a separate tab) summarizing the TOP 25 product categories for which the RCA

indices are greater than one for your chosen country and for the U.S. Note: You may complete the rest of Part 1 according to your own work schedule.