Sustainability Through Diversification and Competitiveness: An Analysis of Global Maize Exports

This study aimed to analyze the diversification and competitiveness of corn exports from the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Ukraine during 2020–2024 through a quantitative, descriptive design using secondary data from Trade Map. Methodologically, it applied the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) to measure destination-market concentration and the normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) to assess export specialization and relative competitiveness. The results indicated heterogeneous patterns: the United States experienced rising concentration toward Mexico—heightening vulnerability despite persistent advantages in Japan and Colombia; Brazil maintained low concentration and robust advantages across the Middle East and Asia; Argentina combined favorable diversification with stable advantages in Asia, Africa, and South America, albeit with a mild uptick in concentration by 2024; and Ukraine showed moderate diversification but volatile competitiveness, with structural disadvantages in Türkiye exacerbated by wartime logistics. This study concluded that export sustainability depended jointly on diversification and competitive specialization, with Brazil and Argentina exhibiting the strongest balance.