Investigating the Status of Exporting Medicinal Plants with Relative Advantage, Global Market Structure and Commercial Planning in Iran

Abstract The strong fluctuations resulting from crude oil exports, the increase in population and the end of oil resources have led policy makers to develop exports and get rid of the single-product economy. In this regard, paying attention to forest products, rangelands, medicinal plants, which are among the most valuable resources in natural resources, is very important. This research was conducted with the aim of determining the relative advantage of medicinal plants and the structure of the global market for medicinal plants and planning their exportation, during the period of 2017-2005. To determine the relative advantage, RCA and RSCA indices were applied, in addition to determine the structure of the market, the concentration ratio and HHI were applied and for the commercial mapping of medicinal plants TM index were used.The results showed that Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India and Indonesia possessed the most relative advantage in exporting medicinal plants, and Iran possessed relative advantage during the course of the study except the year 2015. The results of the market structure showed that the global market for medicinal plant exports is A closed multilateral monopoly and between open and closed multilateral monopolies. And in the discussion of the business map, the results showed that during 2013 and 2002, when the global market is declining, iran has appeared in some years as a winner. And during 2016-2014, when the global market is growing, it has often appeared as a winner. Also, calculating the TM index with regard to agricultural products shows that in all years it is the same as before.