kathimerini.gr
Greek SME Exports Decline in 2023
Fewer Greek SMEs exported goods in 2023 (€47.35B from 19,393 businesses) compared to 2022 (€51.74B from 19,154), revealing competitiveness issues and a lack of export culture despite process improvements; larger firms showed increases.
- How does the distribution of export activity across different-sized businesses in Greece affect overall export performance and economic resilience?
- The decline in Greek SME exports reflects persistent competitiveness issues and a lack of export culture, despite improvements in export processes. While larger businesses increased exports, the overall decrease highlights a systemic problem hindering economic growth and outward expansion.
- What are the key factors contributing to the decrease in Greek SME exports in 2023 compared to 2022, and what are the immediate economic consequences?
- In 2023, 19,393 Greek businesses exported goods worth €47.35 billion, a decrease from 2022's €51.74 billion exported by 19,154 businesses. This drop, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), reveals challenges in competitiveness and export culture.
- What long-term strategies should Greece implement to improve the competitiveness of its SMEs in international markets and promote a wider export culture?
- The concentration of exports among large firms (58.7%, €27.78 billion) and a small number of top exporters (29.5%, €13.98 billion from the top 5) indicates a vulnerability to external shocks. The over-reliance on a few key markets (65.6% of exports went to over 20 countries from only 920 firms) emphasizes the need for diversified export strategies and support for SMEs.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The headline and introductory paragraph immediately highlight the negative trend of decreased exports by smaller businesses, setting a pessimistic tone. The article uses words like "discouraging," "problem," and "anxious," emphasizing the negative aspects of the situation. This framing influences the reader's understanding of the situation, potentially overlooking the positive aspect that larger businesses increased their export activities.
Language Bias
The article uses language that leans towards negativity, using words like "discouraging," "problem," and "anxious." While these words accurately reflect the situation presented by the data, they could be replaced with more neutral terms such as "lower than expected," "challenge," and "concerning." The repeated use of negative framing influences the overall tone.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the quantitative data regarding the number of businesses exporting and the value of exports, but lacks qualitative data such as interviews with business owners to understand the reasons behind the decrease in exports from smaller businesses. It also omits analysis of external factors that might be contributing to the decline, such as global economic conditions or changes in international trade policies. While the article mentions the improvement in export processes, it doesn't delve into the specifics of these improvements or assess their effectiveness.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplistic view by focusing primarily on the challenges faced by Greek businesses in exporting. It highlights the lack of export culture and competitiveness as the main reasons, potentially overlooking other factors like economic downturns in target markets or changes in consumer preferences. There is a lack of discussion of potential solutions or government support initiatives beyond the mention of improved export processes.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights a decrease in the number of small businesses exporting goods in 2023 compared to 2022. This indicates challenges in competitiveness and export culture among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), hindering economic growth and potentially impacting employment. The concentration of exports among large firms further underscores this issue.