Identifying export opportunities between IORA member states using the TRADE-DSM methodology: a case study involving South Africa and Thailand

Abstract

Exporters, in developing countries, often struggle to access accurate market information which will help them make informed decisions about which export markets and products to focus on. Despite the existence of several market selection techniques, a lack of market information has been identified as a major impediment to export activity in the Indian Ocean Rim region. This paper introduces the TRADE-DSM®, a scientific market selection methodology that screens large quantities of data to reveal the most promising realistic export opportunities for a company, industry, country or region. The hypothesis of this paper is two-fold: (i) whether the TRADE-DSM® could help fill the information gap that exporters and export promotion organizations in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) experience, and (ii) whether the TRADE-DSM® could provide the building blocks for the development of a region-wide export promotion strategy for IORA.