World trade value increased in the first quarter of 2012
According to the WTO World Trade Organisation’s published figures the value of world merchandise trade was up 5 % in the first quarter of 2012 and in comparison with the same quarter of 2011
The figures reveal that on an annual basis both exports and imports grew (in current USD) by 5 % in the first quarter of 2012, in North America the growth rates were 8%, in the USA 9 % and Canada 6 %. The figures for South and Central America 11 %, Brazil 8 %, whereas Europe increased only by one percent and the EU was stagnant and imported one percent less, also the intra EU trade was negative (-2 %) whereas extra-EU exports increased by 6 % and imports by 2 %. Surprising figures for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 19 % growth rate in exports and 12 % in imports and the figures for the Russian Federation: + 18% for exports and +13 % for imports. Africa and the Middle East had export increases of 15 % and import went up by 10 %. Asian exports increased by 4 % and imports by 9 %. The details on China + 8 % in exports and 7 % in imports, India’s exports grew by 2 % and imports by 22 %, Japan exported two percent more and imports were up 14 %. The six major East Asian traders (Hong Kong (excluding re-export trade), Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taipei and Thailand) exported 2 % more and imports grew by 6 %.
Looking at quarter to quarter results (in current USD) then the first quarter of world trade was two percent negative both in exports and imports. Exactly the same figure is true for North America and the USA for imports and one percent for exports. South American and Central America note a decrease of exports of four percent, Brazil of 17 % and regional imports dropped by 8 % and those of Brazil 11 %. Europe’s exports diminished by one percent and imports grew by one percent the same is valid for the EU and intra EU trade was stagnant and export figures for the extra EU trade fell by 3 % but imports grew at the same rate. CIS exports decreased by 6 %, and imports by 18 %, the Russian Federation shows an 8 % drop in exports and 19 % in imports. Africa and the Middle East show an increase of 6 % in exports and a decrease of 3 % in imports. In Asia both categories lost 6%, respectively two percent. China had 15 % less exports and six percent less imports, India 14 % more exports and 2 % more imports. Japan had 4 % less exports and one percent less imports. The six major East Asian traders lost one percent on exports and added two percent to imports.