Sector Colombiano de cuero, calzado y marroquinería: Un análisis de la dinámica comercial y las ventajas comparativas respecto a Venezuela (1995-2017)

This work studies the dynamics of trade between Colombia and Venezuela in the case of leather, footwear and leather-based industries, in relation to the underlying the comparative-advantage structure. Among the main results, Colombia were able to maintain a trade surplus against Venezuela for the previously mentioned products, despite the economic and political crisis in that country. Leather and footwear are the main products behind this trade surplus, which is confirmed by the calculation of comparative advantages in terms of contribution to the trade balance index. This kind of index is especially suited for revealing comparative advantages when trade short-term fluctuations significantly affect trade, as this is the case for Venezuela nowadays.