The Potential for Trade between Bulgaria and China: Is There Room for Improvement?

TOCHKOV, Kiril (k.tochkov@tcu.edu) 

Kiril Tochkov is a Professor at the Department of Economics at Texas Christian University. He studied Chinese and Economics at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China. He received a Ph.D. in Economics from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. Tochkov's research focuses on economic growth, regional macroeconomics, productivity, and interregional trade. He  has held visiting appointments at various central banks (Bank of Finland, Bulgarian National Bank), universities (East China Normal University, University of Orléans), and research institutes (Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, Centre for Advanced Study) around the world. (Website: http://personal.tcu.edu/ktochkov/) 

Research Overview 

The trade between Bulgaria and China has increased dramatically over the past decade. This paper examines whether the potential for trade between the two countries has been reached by using a simple methodology that assesses actual trade with China against a benchmark derived from Bulgaria's trade with all of its main trading partners. The results show that the benchmark has not been met, indicating that there is potential for intensifying trade relations between the two countries. The findings are discussed in the context of Sino-Bulgarian cooperation via the 17+1 platform as well as the Belt and Road Initiative.