Attainment of competitive advantage by the exporter–importer dyad

Although experience shows that the exporter and importer jointly contribute towards the attainment of competitiveadvantage, past studies have separately examined export-related characteristics or import barriers. This article identifies a subset of critical factors that illustrate how the exporter–importer (E-I) dyad creates and maintains competitiveadvantage. Based on a sample of Greek importers, a path analytic model was developed that empirically demonstrates that product technology sophistication (PTS), product and service quality and importer strategic objectives are important for the attainment of competitiveadvantage while price competitiveness and trust upon the exporter are not.