COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND EXPORT TRADE SPECIALIZATION OF INDONESIA'S NON-CITRUS ESSENTIAL OILS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET, 2015–2024
Main Article Content
Novita Ramadhianti
Suhaeni
Indrajit Wicaksana
Non-citrus essential oils are natural resource–based export commodities with significant potential in international trade. Competition with major exporting countries and the dynamic development of the global market share require a comprehensive analysis of Indonesia's export position and competitiveness. This study aims to analyze the comparative advantage, trade specialization, and dynamic export position of Indonesia's non-citrus essential oils relative to competing countries during the 2015–2024 period. The analytical methods employed include the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Trade Specialization Index (ISP), and Export Product Dynamics (EPD). Secondary data were obtained from UN Comtrade, ITC Trade Map, and Statistics Indonesia. The results show that Indonesia possesses a strong comparative advantage, as indicated by an increase in the RCA value from 3.45 in 2015 to 7.57 in 2024, accompanied by a rise in export market share from 3.16% to 8.38%. The ISP analysis yields an average value of 0.14, with an increasing trend from −0.19 in 2016 to 0.57 in 2024, indicating a shift in Indonesia's status from a net importer to a net exporter. Furthermore, the EPD analysis places Indonesia in the Rising Star position with X-axis = 17.96 and Y-axis = 2.927, indicating that Indonesia's export market share growth aligns with increasing global demand. These findings confirm Indonesia's substantial potential to strengthen its position as a major exporter of non-citrus essential oils in the international market.
Adiguna, D.A., Krisnamurthi, B., & Erwidodo, E. (2022). Analysis of the Competitiveness of Indonesian Processed Seaweed Exports. Journal of Indonesian Agribusiness, 10(1), 31–39. https://doi.org/10.29244/JAI.2022.10.1.31-39
Anwar, Y., Pasaribu, G., & Nazari, M. (2022). Review on bioactive potential of Indonesian forest essential oils. Phcogj.ComY Anwar, G PasaribuPharmacognosy Journal, 2022•phcogj.Com, 14(6), 873–879. https://doi.org/10.5530/PJ.2022.14.182
Balassa, B. (1965). Trade Liberalization and “Revealed” Comparative Advantage1. The Manchester School, 33(2), 99–123. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-9957.1965.TB00050.X
Baser, K. H., & Bonello, J. M. (2025). Global trade of essential oils. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 37(2), 208–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2025.2470791
Esterhuizen, D. (2006). Measuring and Analyzing Competitiveness in the Agribusiness Sector: Methodological and Analytical Framework.
Gereffi, G., Bamber, P., & Fernandez-Stark, K. (2022). China's Evolving Role in Global Value Chains: Upgrading Strategies in an Era of Disruptions and Resilience. In China's New Development Strategies: Upgrading from Above and from Below in Global Value Chains (pp. 1–29). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3008-9_1
Huda, F., Meitasari, D., & Widyawati, W. (2021). Analysis of the Competitiveness of Indonesian Patchouli Essential Oil Exports in the International Market with Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and France for the Period 2001-2018. Journal of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, 5(4), 1069–1085. https://doi.org/10.21776/UB.JEPA.2021.005.04.10
ITC Trade Map. (2025). https://www.trademap.org
Ivanova, S., Ivanov, K., Gvozdeva, Y., Staynova, R., Grekova-Kafalova, D., Hristozova, M., & Koleva, N. (2025). Essential oils – a review of the regulatory framework in the European Union. PHARMACIA, 72, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3897/PHARMACIA.72.E154479
Lestari, Putu FK, Ferhat, A., & Bimantio, MP (2023). Competitiveness Analysis of Indonesian Essential Oil as an Export Commodity in the International Market Using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) Method. Agrisocionomics: Journal of Agricultural Socioeconomics, 7(1), 144–154. https://doi.org/10.14710/AGRISOCIONOMICS.V7I1.16369
Misra, P., Pandey, G., Pandey, S., Singh, A., Chaurasia, A.K., Lal, E.P., Agnihotry, S., Srivastav, A.K., & Shukla, P.K. (2024). Plants as potential resources for effective essential oils: Underpinning aromatherapy evolution. Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oils, 31–63. https://doi.org/10.2174/9789815136203124010006
Nurcahyani, M., & Salqaura, S. (2023). Analysis of Indonesian Essential Oil Export Performance in the International Market. Ojs.Unimal.Ac.IdM Nurcahyani, SS SalqauraAgrifo: Agribusiness Journal of Malikussaleh University, 2023•ojs.Unimal.Ac.Id, 8(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.29103/AG.V8I1.11771
Sitepu, I., & Nainggolan, MLW (2024). The sustainability of production and the US Dollar exchange rate influence Indonesian Cocoa and Pepper exports and their competitiveness. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1302(1), 012142. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1302/1/012142
Tampubolon, YA, & Yuliawati, Y. (2025). Competitiveness, Specialization, and Export Performance of Indonesian Essential Oils in the International Market. Mimbar Agribisnis: Journal of Thought for the Scientific Community with an Agribusiness Insight, 11(2), 2865. https://doi.org/10.25157/MA.V11I2.18571
Tarigan, ACA, Suharno, & Harmini. (2024). Export Performance of Indonesian Black Pepper in the United States Market. Agrisocionomics: Journal of Agricultural Social Economics, 8(1), 216–230. https://doi.org/10.14710/AGRISOCIONOMICS.V8I1.18116
UN Comtrade. (2025). https://comtradeplus.un.org
Widodo, T. (2009). Dynamic Comparative Advantages in the ASEAN+3. Journal of Economic Integration, 24(3), 505–529. https://doi.org/10.11130/JEI.2009.24.3.505
Zamani, S., Fathi, M., Ebadi, M.T., & Máthé, Á. (2025). Global trade of medicinal and aromatic plants. A review. In Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (Vol. 21). Elsevier BV https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.10191
