should generally be utilized because this allows for the effects of comparative advantage to be
isolated from other bilateral and market-specific effects of trade distortions. And, second, since
comparative advantage is, by nature, a relative value, an RCA index must be a function of trade
flows relative to an appropriate point of comparison. This point of comparison must be appropriate
for the particular use of the RCA index, and it must not change across products or countries for
which values of the index are to be compared in the analysis.