ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study provides a systematic bibliometric review of the global literature on trade potential, with the aim of mapping its knowledge structure and evolutionary patterns. Based on 1,794 English-language journal articles indexed in the Scopus database from 1968 to the first half of 2025, we employ bibliometric methods to examine publication trends, international collaboration networks, core research themes, and emerging research fronts in this field. The results indicate a pronounced growth in trade potential research over the past decade. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom occupy central positions in terms of both publication output and international co-authorship networks. Existing studies are predominantly grounded in gravity-based frameworks and panel data analysis, with empirical attention largely focused on China, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, and agricultural trade. At the same time, several themes—including geopolitical risk, economic corridors, European countries, network analysis, and energy efficiency—have recently emerged as prominent research fronts. These trends suggest a gradual shift in trade potential research from conventional measurements of trade capacity toward broader analytical perspectives that emphasize regional connectivity, uncertainty and external shocks, network structures, and sustainability-oriented considerations. By synthesizing the thematic structure and methodological evolution of the literature, this study enhances the overall understanding of global trade potential research and offers a systematic reference framework for future theoretical and empirical investigations.
Ananda, Y., Rizal, E., & Rohman, A. S. (2025). Analisis Bibliometrik Artikel Jurnal Bidang Informartion Quality Pada Database Scopus Menggunakan Vosviewer. Jurnal Pustaka Budaya, 12(1), 89–109.
Armstrong, S. P. (2007). Measuring trade and trade potential: A survey. Crawford School Asia Pacific Economic Paper, (368).
Chuan, L., Zhao, J., Qi, S., Jia, Q., Zhang, H., & Ye, S. (2024). Research frontiers in the field of agricultural resources and the environment. Applied Sciences, 14(12), 4996.
Dulla, N., Mishra, S., & Swain, S. C. (2021). Global exploration on bibliometric research articles: A bibliometric analysis. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1, 1-26.
Gao, X. (2009). Macroeconomic Analysis on the Basis of Trade Theory: A Review Essay.
Khudzari, J. M., Kurian, J., Tartakovsky, B., & Raghavan, G. V. (2018). Bibliometric analysis of global research trends on microbial fuel cells using Scopus database. Biochemical engineering journal, 136, 51-60.
Kumar, R. (2025). Bibliometric analysis: comprehensive insights into tools, techniques, applications, and solutions for research excellence. Spectrum of Engineering and Management Sciences, 3(1), 45-62.
Li, M. (2018). Classifying and ranking topic terms based on a novel approach: Role differentiation of author keywords. Scientometrics, 116(1), 77-100.
Lyu, P., Liu, X., & Yao, T. (2023). A bibliometric analysis of literature on bibliometrics in recent half-century. Journal of Information Science, 01655515231191233.
Mazhar, M., Ghauri, S. P., Aijaz, U., & Hayat, A. (2023). Exploring bilateral trade potential: A promising analysis. Global Management Journal for Academic & Corporate Studies, 13(1), 35-53.
Miao, T., Pastpipatkul, P., Liu, X., & Liu, J. (2024). The trade potential of grain crops in the countries along the Belt and Road: evidence from a stochastic frontier model. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1404232.
Moharreri, A., & Khosravi, A. (2014). Trade Potentials of the TPP: A Gravity Estimation. Available at SSRN 2434419.
Nageye, A. Y., Jimale, A. D., Abdullahi, M. O., & Ahmed, Y. A. (2024). Emerging trends in data science and big data analytics: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering, 11(5), 84-98.
Nuraisyah, J. P. (2017, December). Indonesia-The Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Potential. In 2nd International Conference on Indonesian Economy and Development (ICIED 2017) (pp. 185-189). Atlantis Press.
Paglia, L. (2022). Bibliometrics to improve our patients' care!. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 23(3), 173-173.
Pan, C. L., Chen, Z., Zhou, Z., Cai, Z., Liu, X., & Lin, Y. (2021). Frontiers in the emerging development of blockchain and Bitcoin: visual research based on big data analysis. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 235, p. 03017). EDP Sciences.
Proença, I., Martínez-Galán, E., & Fontoura, M. P. (2017). Trade Potential Revisited: A Panel Data Analysis for Zimbabwe. Applied Econometrics and International Development, 17(1), 113-130.
Putri, S. A., Winoto, Y., & Rohanda, R. (2023). Pemetaan penelitian information retrieval system menggunakan VOSviewer. Informatio: Journal of Library and Information Science, 3(2), 93-108.
Sasaki, H., Fugetsu, B., & Sakata, I. (2020). Emerging scientific field detection using citation networks and topic models—a case study of the nanocarbon field. Applied System Innovation, 3(3), 40.
Sen, S. (2010). International trade theory and policy: A review of the literature.
Tolossa, D. N., Sahibzada, A., Abdulhussein, H. F., & Pandya, D. H. B. (2023). The Impact of Social Media on Tourism: Bibliometric Analysis using Scopus Database. International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology, 557-563.
Vengadesh, S., Chinna, P. R., & Aravindaraj, K. (2025). A bibliometric analysis of research trends in goods transportation using the scopus database. Business Perspectives and Research, 13(3), 347-368.
Waugh, M., & Ravikumar, B. (2016). Trade Potential: A New Measure of Openness. In 2016 Meeting Papers (No. 1329). Society for Economic Dynamics.
Winoto, Y., & Rohanda, R. (2023). Pemetaan penelitian information retrieval system menggunakan VOSviewer. Informatio, 3(2), 93.
Yao, T., Shi, Y., & Chen, M. (2023). Review and research frontier analysis of low carbon economy–Based on bibliometric methods. Procedia Computer Science, 221, 1292-1301.
Zhao, C., Cui, W., Meng, J., Zhang, X., Zhao, X., Wang, L., & Dong, Z. (2017). Visualization map analysis of literature on genomics research based on bibliometrics of citespace. Genomics and Applied Biology, 8.
Feng, L., & Mahadi, B. (2026). Mapping Global Research on Trade Potential: A Bibliometric Analysis. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(4), 1082-.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode