Ophthalmic-Optical Foreign Sector and Policy Implications

The aim of this paper is to analyse how the ease of manufacturing a product may influence the evolution of exports of specific products in the Spanish economy. This research focuses on the analysis of the international trade of ophthalmic-optical products to ascertain how the so-called complexity index may determine the strength of international competition. More specifically, the foreign sector, in terms of products and countries, is studied for the period 1978 to 2014. Results demonstrate that specialization in products of low complexity is a determining factor for the lack of success of this type of product in international competition.