In 1950, the Netherlands' volume of exports was 171 percent the rate it had been in 1913 (i.e., it was 1.7 times larger), but this figure grew to be more than 1,600 percent by 1973, which was the largest change in Western Europe. 1913 was the year before the First World War, and 1950 marked the end of the recovery period after the Second World War for most countries in Western Europe. Across these years, the most considerable change in export volumes was in Scandinavian countries, a region that saw rapid economic development in this period and whose level of devastation from the wars was much lower than most of the other countries listed here. The emergence of the Scandinavian and Dutch shipping industries also contributed significantly to their export sectors. Declines in Austria and Germany The only countries listed who saw a decrease in export volumes between 1913 and 1950 were Austria and Germany, where exports fell by 68 and 65 percent, respectively. Of the countries listed, these were the only ones to have been defeated in the war. Not only were much of their resources invested into recovery, but these countries were obligated to pay reparations for their roles in the Second World War via industrial and mechanical exports, rather than financial payments, which is one contributing factor to their lower export volumes. Territorial differences between 1913 and 1950 also played a large part in this, as both countries lost a significant share of their natural resources and industry due to the wars. Increased integration Despite this, the United Kingdom eventually saw the lowest growth in export volumes between 1913 and 1973. This was due to the fact that the British Empire had been the largest exporter in the world going into the First World War, but had lost the majority of its territories by 1973. The UK was also reluctant to join the Economic Communities in later decades, and the lack of integration meant that trade between the UK and the mainland had additional tariffs and barriers that were not in place for member states. Unrestricted trade and cooperation between nations, particularly concerning high-quality, manufactured goods, became a defining aspect of Western European trade in the late 20th century. European imports from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania dropped from roughly one-third to 18 percent between 1938 and 1970, while exports to these regions also dropped by a very similar rate.

Regional Trade Statistics Custom tables, UK Trade info from HMRC.

Key Points:

1) In the decade to 2011, the value of London’s food exports rose by £0.7 billion to £1.8 billion. As a share of all goods exported from the capital, food’s share has remained stable at around 5 per cent.

2) The value of beverage exports make up the largest proportion of London’s food exports, which at £821.4 million made up 46 per cent of all London food exports in 2011.Over two-fifths of these beverage exports were to EU countries, with a further 34 per cent destined for Asia and Oceania.

3) The EU is the largest market region for London’s food exports, accounting for half of all exports by value. Asia and Oceania was the second most important region in 2011. Looking at individual countries, in 2011 the Irish Republic had the highest total value of food exports from London (with a 14 per cent share of London’s global food exports), followed by France and Hong Kong respectively.

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Relevant link: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Table.aspx

Turkey was Europe's largest exporter of cement based on value in 2023, with cement exports worth *** billion U.S. dollars. Germany was the second-largest cement exporter that year in this region, with exports reaching a value of approximately *** million U.S. dollars.

🇬🇧 영국 English Regional Trade Statistics Custom tables, UK Trade info from HMRC. Key Points: 1) In the decade to 2011, the value of London’s food exports rose by £0.7 billion to £1.8 billion. As a share of all goods exported from the capital, food’s share has remained stable at around 5 per cent. 2) The value of beverage exports make up the largest proportion of London’s food exports, which at £821.4 million made up 46 per cent of all London food exports in 2011.Over two-fifths of these beverage exports were to EU countries, with a further 34 per cent destined for Asia and Oceania. 3) The EU is the largest market region for London’s food exports, accounting for half of all exports by value. Asia and Oceania was the second most important region in 2011. Looking at individual countries, in 2011 the Irish Republic had the highest total value of food exports from London (with a 14 per cent share of London’s global food exports), followed by France and Hong Kong respectively.

Between 1933 and 1939, Germany expanded and strengthened its trade connections with a number of Eastern European countries to a point where their economic expansion became dependent on trade with Germany, making it the dominant economic power in the region. By 1939, the year the Second World War began in Europe, Germany was the largest trading partner of the four countries listed; this was also true of Czechoslovakia in 1937, Poland in 1938, and the Soviet Union in 1940, although the share of total exports to Germany from these countries was lower. German influence increases in the Second World War To consolidate its power in the region, Germany exported its high-quality industrial products to these countries and paid above-market prices to import raw materials and agricultural produce. Following the outbreak of the war, Germany invested more into the farming sectors of the four countries listed, to the point where they were economically subordinate and considered satellite extensions of the German economy. The demand for agricultural imports from these countries impeded their industrialization and prevented them from developing their industries that could compete with Germany. Three of the countries listed would side with the Axis powers as the war escalated. At the same time, Yugoslavia was quickly annexed, and a puppet government was installed, continuing the agricultural supply to Germany. Post-war difficulties Following the war, the four listed countries eventually fell within the Soviet sphere of influence (though Yugoslavia to a lesser extent than the other three), and the dominance of agricultural sectors led to difficulties, as new communist governments attempted to take their economies in a more industrialized direction. The socialist economic systems required the agricultural means of production to be publicly owned (collectivized); however, many rural landowners were unwilling to part from their land; especially in Bulgaria. These factors exacerbated the delaying effect that Germany had had on these countries' industrialization in the 1930s, contributing to the economic imbalances that emerged between Europe's Eastern and Western Blocs in the decades that followed.

The United States' total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$2.06 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. The United States' main export partners were: Canada, Mexico and China. The top three export commodities were: Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Electrical, electronic equipment. Total Imports were valued at US$3.36 Trillion. In 2024, The United States had a trade deficit of US$1.29 Trillion.

Germany's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$1.69 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Germany's main export partners were: the United States, France and the Netherlands. The top three export commodities were: Vehicles other than railway, tramway; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Electrical, electronic equipment. Total Imports were valued at US$1.43 Trillion. In 2024, Germany had a trade surplus of US$258.07 Billion.

The statistic shows a ranking of the top 20 import countries worldwide in 2023. In 2023, the U.S. was the leading import country in the world with an import value of about **** trillion U.S. dollars. Import and export worldwide Import and export are generally important pillars of a country’s economy. The trade balance of a country shows the relationship between the values of a country’s imports and exports. If the balance is positive, i.e. if the value of exports is higher than that of imports, it is called a trade surplus. If it is negative and import values exceed export values, it represents a trade deficit. Worldwide trade is regulated by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It provides a framework for trade agreements and helps in resolving disputes. Since its foundation in 1995, more than 150 countries have become members of the WTO and obligated themselves to follow its regulations. The worldwide export volume in trade since 1950 has tripled, and a similar development can be observed in the worldwide import trade volume since 1950. Europe is leading the ranking regarding the value of worldwide export volume of trade by region, but the value of goods exported by Asia is almost up to par. Both continents are also the top destination regions of inter-regional trade worldwide. The United States, China, and Germany are the leading import countries worldwide, and also the leading export countries worldwide, albeit in a different order. The top traded goods and commodities are oil and fuel, electronic equipment, and machinery. The volume of commodities traded worldwide has increased dramatically over the past few years.

In the second quarter of 2023, the Non-EU countries was the region that received most of the merchandise exported from Ghana, covering a percentage of 28.7 of all exports from the country. This was followed by the Far East and Rest of Africa, at 17.3 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively. However, the Far East was the first destination of merchandise exports from Ghana in the second quarter of 2022.

Jack Daniel's was the leading brand of whiskey in the on-trade channel in the United Kingdom in 2024. Sales of the brand reached 252.5 million GBP in that year. Jameson was the next best-selling brand with sales of 92.8 million British pounds. The global whiskey market The leading importer of whiskey worldwide is the United States. Whiskey imported to the United States is valued at around 1.94 billion U.S. dollars. France and Germany follow with imports worth 878 and 865 million U.S. dollars, respectively. The global whiskey market was worth approximately 89 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The market value is forecast to increase to over 104 billion U.S. dollars by 2029. The two largest markets for whiskey worldwide are the United States and India. With market shares of 27 and 24 percent, respectively, the United States and India combined make up more than half of the global whiskey market. The United Kingdom’s whiskey trade The United Kingdom is by far the largest whiskey exporter in the world. Whiskey exports from the United Kingdom are valued at around 7.2 billion U.S. dollars, more than four times as large as the value of the second-largest whiskey exporter, the United States. Asia and Oceania is the United Kingdom’s main destination for whiskey exports. Approximately 1.6 billion pounds worth of whiskey exports are sent to that region annually. The European Community is the UK’s second-largest trading partner for whiskey exports, with an export value of about 1.54 billion British pounds annually. The United Kingdom also imports whiskey. The vast majority of whiskey imports to the United Kingdom come from the United States and the Irish Republic.

In 2019, the value of wine imported from western Europe into Italy amounted to 329 million euros. According to the data provided by Prometeia, Western Europe was the main supplier of wine for Italy. On the other hand, the value of wine imported from other regions was by far lower. For instance, the value of the import from the second-largest supplying region, the new EU countries, amounted to six million euros.

In 2018, the value of ceramic tiles exported from Italy to Western European countries amounted to ***** million euros. The figures provided by Prometeia show that Western Europe was the main market for Italian ceramic tiles. In fact, the exports to the NAFTA region – the second largest destination – reached a value of *** million euros in the same year. Also, the distribution of the Italian exports of ceramic tiles reveals that the share owned by Western Europe remained quite unchanged between 2013 and 2018.   Italy’s exports of ceramic tiles: major destination countriesIt comes as no surprise that there were two Western European countries – France and Germany – among the three main destinations for Italy’s exports of ceramic tiles. The value of Italian ceramic tiles exported to France peaked in 2017 and it slightly decreased in 2018, while the value of exports to the Germany and the United States gradually decreased between 2016 and 2018.
   Italy’s imports of ceramic tiles: main suppliers On the other hand, the major supplier for Italy was Spain. In 2018, the value of ceramic tiles imported into Italy from Spain added up to **** million euros , an increase compared to the previous years. Germany and India – the other main suppliers of ceramic tiles for Italy – followed at a considerable distance, given that in 2018, the value of imports from these countries amounted to ** and **** million euros, respectively.

In 2024, Europe imported more oil and its products than any other region across the globe, at roughly ************ barrels per day. China followed closely as the second-largest importer, with ************ daily barrels. Chinese demand on the rise China has become the second largest oil consumer in the world, ranking only behind the U.S. However, while the latter saw its oil production more than ****** in the past decade, oil production in China has remained more or less stable in the period, with an average output of ************ barrels per day. In contrast, China's oil consumption has about ******* since the beginning of the century, with demand registering a year-over-year growth of almost *** percent in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Oil movement between Europe and Russia The European Economic Area, as well as Eastern European countries, also account for a high level of imports, as Russia is a major producer and exporter of oil, home to the largest proved oil reserves in Europe and Eurasia. Outside of Russia and former Soviet Union (FSU) countries, Norway and the United Kingdom are the only two European nations with significant oil production, yet still only a fraction of Russia’s. Nevertheless, the share of petroleum oil imported to the European Union from Russia has slowly declined in the past decade, to just below *** percent in the first quarter of 2024.

In 2021, nearly ** percent of China's vehicle exports were shipped to other Asian countries and ** percent were exported to Europe. In that year, China's total car exports reached *********** units.

In 2024, goods imports to China increased by about *** percent compared to the previous year (based on yuan value). Resulting from a difficult global economic environment and the high base of total imports during the pandemic, China's international trade saw only slow growth that year. Goods import to China In 2024 China’s total international trade value reached **** trillion yuan, comprised of **** trillion yuan merchandise export value and **** trillion yuan import value. Imports accounted for nearly **** percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) that year.China is the world’s second largest merchandise importer after the United States. Among the country’s major import goods are integrated circuits, crude oil, and iron ore. The ASEAN was the major region exporting to China in 2024, accounting for over ** percent of China’s total imports. The European Union was China's second largest import origin that year. In addition, China's closest neighbors – South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan – each covered *** to ***** percent of the total import value. Import growth China's merchandise imports were stalled as a result of the difficult global economic environment in 2024. Guangdong province was China's largest import destination, followed by Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu province. As for trade partners, China has increased its imports of merchandise from Russia significantly since 2022. In 2023, China imported nearly *** billion yuan of products from Russia.

In 2024, the European Union countries imported approximately **** percent of the Chinese export volume. In that year, ASEAN was the largest Chinese merchandise importer. Distribution of Chinese exports In 2024, China exported goods with a total value of around **** trillion yuan and imported goods with a value of **** trillion yuan. That year, China ranked second among the countries with the largest gross domestic product, following the United States.China’s economic prosperity has been closely related to its status as the world’s factory. For about a decade between 2005 and 2015, exports contributed more than ** percent to China’s gross domestic product. However, the share of exports to GDP contribution is currently on the decline. Nonetheless, China maintains a trade surplus of about *** billion U.S. dollars and remains first among countries with the highest trade surplus worldwide as of 2023. While China displays high growth potential for service exports such as tourism, transportation, banking and financial services, as well as insurance and education services, the main focus of China’s export industry remains merchandise. In 2022, Chinese merchandise exports made up **** percent of all global exports, whereas service based exports contributed only *** percent.In terms of most exported merchandise categories, food and live animals used for food were the main primary goods. Among the manufactured goods, automatic data processing machines, integrated circuits, clothing, textiles, and smartphones were the categories with the highest export value in China in 2024.

The main area of destination of Italian exports is by far the European Union. In 2023, 52 percent of all export value originated from countries of the European Union. With 14.2 percent, other European non-EU countries were the second-largest export partners, followed by North America.

In 2022, electricity exports from Europe added up to some *** billion U.S. dollars. Germany was the largest exporter of electricity in the region, with exports exceeding ** billion dollars that year. France followed in second, with ** billion dollars worth of exports. These two nations are also the largest electricity producers in Europe.

In 2024, 12.5 percent of goods imports into the United Kingdom came from Germany, making it the main import partner that year. Imports from the United States accounted for ten percent of UK goods imports, making America the UK's second main import partner, followed by China on 9.8 percent. As of this year, the overall import value of cars to the UK was approximately 38.4 billion British pounds, the most of any commodity in 2024. Europe remains UK's main trading partner Several years after the Brexit vote, and the eventual departure from the European Union, European countries account for most of the UK's trade. As of 2024, approximately 50.8 percent of the UK's exports went to Europe, with 60.1 percent of imports coming from there, the vast majority of which were in the European Single Market. After Europe, American countries were the UK's main destination for exports, at around 19.2 percent, while countries in the Asia Pacific region were the second-main source for imports, at 19.1 percent in 2024. UK attitudes to Brexit in 2025 Since the UK left the EU in 2020, there has been a gradual but consistent increase in the share of people who believe Brexit to have been a mistake. As of January 2025, when asked if they thought it was right or wrong to leave the EU, approximately 55 percent thought it was the wrong decision, compared with 30 percent who thought it was the correct choice. In addition to this, a majority of Britons thought that the impacts of leaving the EU had been mainly negative. Regarding international trade, 57 percent believed that Brexit had been detrimental, compared with just 11 percent who thought it had a positive impact.

The United States was the leading country for exports from the United Kingdom in 2024, with **** percent of all UK exports going to this market. Germany was the second-largest export market for the UK in this year, followed by the Netherlands, with these countries accounting for *** and *** percent of UK exports respectively. During this year, cars were the most valuable goods commodity exported from the UK, while general business services were the most valuable type of service exported from the UK. UK imports most from Germany Although the United States was the largest export market, Germany was the country from which the UK imported the highest share of goods, with **** percent of the UK’s imports coming from the country in 2024. The United States was the second-largest source of imports for the UK, with *** percent originating from there in 2024, with China a close third at *** percent of UK imports. The main types of trade goods imported from the rest of the world in the UK included cars, oil, and mechanical power generators. The Balance of Trade In the fourth quarter of 2024, the United Kingdom had an overall trade deficit of over **** billion pounds. Although service exports from the UK to the rest of the world amounted to more than ***** billion pounds, the UK imported far more goods than it exported, resulting in a goods trade deficit of **** billion pounds, bringing down the overall trade balance. As of 2023, the UK was behind only the U.S. when it came to the overall size of the trade deficit.