From the Mediterranean to America: Türkiye’s Olive Oil Competitiveness in the US Market

In the United States (US), olive oil consumption is increasing due to the growing importance of healthy eating, the rising popularity of the Mediterranean diet, and the unique characteristics and taste of olive oil. Mediterranean countries play a particularly significant role in olive oil production and trade. Türkiye, a Mediterranean country, ranks fourth in olive oil production and sixth in exports. The US is the largest global olive oil market importer and the country where Türkiye exports the most olive oil. This study aims to analyze Türkiye’s international competitive advantage in the US olive oil market compared with those of Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Argentina, and Greece. The data utilized in the study encompasses the period from 2015 to 2024 and was obtained from the Trade Map database. The data was analyzed using the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, the Trade Specialization Index (TSI), and the Export Product Dynamic (EPD) method. The study revealed that Türkiye and other leading countries specialize in exporting olive oil to the US market. It was determined that Türkiye faces a comparative disadvantage in olive oil exports to the US market when compared to its competitors. Tunisia has been identified as Türkiye’s strongest competitor in the US olive oil market. Türkiye has encountered a "lost opportunity" in the US olive oil market. In this regard, although Türkiye has increased its market share in total exports to the US, it has not achieved the same success in olive oil exports. Although Türkiye exports olive oil to the US at lower prices than its competitors, it has not gained a sufficient competitive advantage over these countries. Therefore, to increase its competitive advantage in the US olive oil market, Türkiye needs to focus more on non-price factors and, in this regard, produce and market high-quality, organic, certified, branded products.