Global Trade Statistics and Insights 2026
Here is a deep insight into global trade. Find key insights to help you make sense of what is going on in the world of trade.
Global Trade Values by Year (US$ Trillion)
| Year | Goods Trade | Services Trade | Total Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.4 | 3.9 | 19.3 |
| 2011 | 18.4 | 4.4 | 22.8 |
| 2012 | 18.7 | 4.5 | 23.2 |
| 2013 | 19.0 | 4.8 | 23.8 |
| 2014 | 19.1 | 5.2 | 24.3 |
| 2015 | 16.7 | 4.9 | 21.6 |
| 2016 | 16.2 | 5.0 | 21.2 |
| 2017 | 18.0 | 5.4 | 23.4 |
| 2018 | 19.8 | 5.9 | 25.7 |
| 2019 | 19.3 | 6.1 | 25.4 |
| 2020 | 17.9 | 5.0 | 22.9 |
| 2021 | 22.6 | 5.8 | 28.4 |
| 2022 | 25.7 | 6.7 | 32.4 |
| 2023 | 24.3 | 7.3 | 31.6 |
| 2024 | 24.8 | 7.8 | 32.6 |
Key Insight: Global trade has grown from $19.3 trillion in 2010 to $32.6 trillion in 2024, but experienced significant volatility with major disruptions in 2015-2016, 2020, and 2023.
World’s Top Exporting Countries (2024)
| Rank | Country | Exports (USD) |
| 1 | China | $3,576.54 Billion |
| 2 | USA | $2,063.80 Billion |
| 3 | Germany | $1,630.71 Billion |
| 4 | Japan | $707.39 Billion |
| 5 | Netherlands | $699.26 Billion |
| 6 | Rep. of Korea | $683.13 Billion |
| 7 | Italy | $652.41 Billion |
| 8 | France | $645.96 Billion |
| 9 | China, Hong Kong SAR | $639.41 Billion |
| 10 | Mexico | $618.98 Billion |
Key Insight: China dominates the global export market, selling over $1.5 trillion more in goods than the United States of America in second place.
World’s Top Importing Countries (2024)
| Rank | Country | Imports (USD) |
| 1 | USA | $3,356.81 Billion |
| 2 | China | $2,585.13 Billion |
| 3 | Germany | $1,376.92 Billion |
| 4 | United Kingdom | $809.21 Billion |
| 5 | France | $762.04 Billion |
| 6 | Japan | $742.67 Billion |
| 7 | China, Hong Kong SAR | $697.90 Billion |
| 8 | India | $697.75 Billion |
| 9 | Rep. of Korea | $631.73 Billion |
| 10 | Mexico | $625.87 Billion |
Key Insight: The United States of America is by far the world’s largest consumer market, importing significantly more goods than any other nation.
Countries With the Highest Trade Surplus (2024)
| Rank | Country | Trade Surplus (USD) |
| 1 | China | $991.41 Billion |
| 2 | Germany | $253.80 Billion |
| 3 | Ireland | $97.67 Billion |
| 4 | Other Asia, nes | $80.59 Billion |
| 5 | Netherlands | $78.16 Billion |
| 6 | Switzerland | $75.48 Billion |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | $72.69 Billion |
| 8 | Norway | $67.00 Billion |
| 9 | Brazil | $59.49 Billion |
| 10 | Qatar | $59.24 Billion |
Key Insight: China has by far the highest trade surplus of nearly $1 trillion. This could mean it is the unrivaled manufacturing hub of the world.
Countries With the Highest Trade Deficits (2024)
| Rank | Country | Trade Deficit (USD) |
| 1 | USA | -$1,293.01 Billion |
| 2 | United Kingdom | -$300.52 Billion |
| 3 | India | -$263.31 Billion |
| 4 | France | -$116.09 Billion |
| 5 | Türkiye | -$82.23 Billion |
| 6 | Philippines | -$61.90 Billion |
| 7 | China, Hong Kong SAR | -$58.49 Billion |
| 8 | Egypt | -$49.85 Billion |
| 9 | Spain | -$47.60 Billion |
| 10 | Romania | -$36.15 Billion |
Key Insight: The United States of America has by far the world’s largest trade deficit, spending over $1.2 trillion more on imports than it earns from exports.
Countries With the Highest Total Trade Volume (2024)
| Rank | Country | Total Trade Activity (USD) |
| 1 | China | $6,161.67 Billion |
| 2 | USA | $5,420.61 Billion |
| 3 | Germany | $3,007.63 Billion |
| 4 | Japan | $1,450.05 Billion |
| 5 | France | $1,408.00 Billion |
| 6 | Netherlands | $1,324.96 Billion |
| 7 | China, Hong Kong SAR | $1,337.31 Billion |
| 8 | United Kingdom | $1,317.91 Billion |
| 9 | Rep. of Korea | $1,314.86 Billion |
| 10 | Mexico | $1,244.85 Billion |
Key Insight: China and the USA are in a league of their own; together, they are responsible for a massive share of the world’s total trade activity.
Export Growth by Development Status (2018-2023)
| Region/Category | Value 2023 (US$ Trillion) | Growth 2018-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed Countries | 12.8 | 3.3% | -3.8% |
| Developing Countries | 10.8 | 5.0% | -7.2% |
| East Asia | 6.4 | 4.6% | -8.4% |
| South Asia | 0.6 | 6.6% | -5.4% |
| Rest of Asia | 1.7 | 5.6% | -8.2% |
| Latin America | 1.5 | 5.7% | -1.3% |
| Africa | 0.7 | 4.6% | -8.0% |
Key Insight: Developing countries experienced faster trade growth (5.0%) than developed countries (3.3%) between 2018-2023, but suffered steeper declines in 2023.
Import Growth by Development Status (2018-2023)
| Region/Category | Value 2023 (US$ Trillion) | Growth 2018-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed Countries | 13.9 | 3.9% | -5.4% |
| Developing Countries | 9.8 | 4.6% | -4.4% |
| East Asia | 5.4 | 3.6% | -5.8% |
| South Asia | 0.8 | 4.3% | -10.9% |
| Rest of Asia | 1.6 | 9.0% | 7.5% |
| Latin America | 1.4 | 4.8% | -6.7% |
| Africa | 0.6 | 3.8% | -4.6% |
Key Insight: Rest of Asia was the only developing region to show positive import growth in 2023 (7.5%), while South Asia experienced the sharpest decline at -10.9%.
Export Growth of Major Economies
| Economy | Annual Growth 2010-2023 | Share Change (pp) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Share | 2010 Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6.1% | +3.6pp | 3.6 | 14.0% | 10.6% |
| India | 6.3% | +0.8pp | 0.8 | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Mexico | 5.6% | +0.7pp | 0.6 | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| Brazil | 4.1% | +0.0pp | 0.4 | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Switzerland | 4.2% | +0.2pp | 0.7 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| European Union | 3.9% | -0.3pp | 4.4 | 17.4% | 17.1% |
| United States | 3.9% | +0.1pp | 3.1 | 12.1% | 12.0% |
| Japan | 0.5% | -2.0pp | 0.9 | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| Russian Federation | 0.4% | -0.7pp | 0.5 | 1.5% | 2.8% |
Key Insight: China and India led export growth among major economies with annual rates exceeding 6%, while Japan and the Russian Federation saw their global export shares decline significantly.
Import Growth of Major Economies
| Economy | Annual Growth 2010-2023 | Share Change (pp) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Share | 2010 Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6.2% | +3.2pp | 3.1 | 12.5% | 9.3% |
| Mexico | 5.5% | +0.5pp | 0.7 | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| India | 5.3% | +0.6pp | 0.9 | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| Switzerland | 4.0% | +0.1pp | 0.6 | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| United States | 3.8% | +0.0pp | 3.9 | 15.4% | 15.4% |
| European Union | 3.7% | -0.4pp | 4.3 | 16.9% | 17.3% |
| Republic of Korea | 3.1% | -0.3pp | 0.8 | 3.0% | 3.3% |
| Japan | 1.7% | -1.2pp | 1.0 | 3.9% | 5.1% |
| Russian Federation | 1.3% | -0.6pp | 0.4 | 1.5% | 2.1% |
Key Insight: China’s import market share grew by 3.2 percentage points to reach 12.5% of global imports, while the European Union remains the world’s largest import market at $4.3 trillion.
Global Trade by Sector
| Category | Growth 2010-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 | 2023 Share | 2010 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services | 5.0% | 9.3% | 23.7% | 3.9 | 7.3 |
| Agriculture | 4.7% | -3.5% | 7.1% | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Manufacturing | 3.7% | -2.2% | 57.5% | 11.1 | 17.8 |
| Natural Resources | 2.4% | -19.0% | 11.6% | 2.6 | 3.6 |
Key Insight: Services trade grew fastest at 5.0% annually and was the only major category to show positive growth in 2023 (9.3%), while natural resources trade plummeted 19.0% due to commodity price corrections.
Trade by Stage of Processing
| Stage of Processing | Growth 2010-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 | 2023 Share | 2010 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Goods | 4.5% | -1.1% | 19.8% | 2.6 | 4.7 |
| Intermediate Goods | 3.6% | -7.3% | 42.8% | 6.4 | 10.1 |
| Primary Products | 2.9% | -13.2% | 18.9% | 3.1 | 4.5 |
| Capital Goods | 2.8% | 2.2% | 14.0% | 2.3 | 3.3 |
Key Insight: Intermediate goods account for a 42.8% share of global trade but experienced the sharpest decline (-7.3%) in 2023. This could mean a supply chain consolidation and reduced inventory buildup.
Top Manufacturing Sectors by Growth
| Sector | Growth 2010-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 | 2010 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron and Steel | 8.0% | 3.0% | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| Electrical Machinery | 5.0% | -2.6% | 2.0 | 3.7 |
| Chemical Products | 4.5% | -5.3% | 1.4 | 2.5 |
| Transport/Automotive | 4.0% | 17.3% | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| Plastics and Rubber | 2.9% | -10.9% | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Precision Instruments | 2.6% | -1.6% | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Other Base Metals | 2.6% | -10.1% | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Other Manufacturing | 2.5% | -9.6% | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Textiles and Apparel | 2.4% | -9.4% | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Machinery | 2.3% | 0.0% | 2.0 | 2.7 |
Key Insight: Transport and automotive trade surged 17.3% in 2023, driven by the shift toward alternative energy vehicles, while most other manufacturing sectors contracted.
Services Trade by Sector
| Sector | Growth 2010-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 | 2010 Value (US$ Trillion) | 2023 Value (US$ Trillion) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications & IT | 8.7% | 9.3% | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Professional & Consulting | 8.0% | 12.4% | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Goods-related Services | 7.2% | 9.3% | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Research & Development | 6.2% | 12.8% | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Intellectual Property Rights | 5.9% | 4.3% | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Financial Services | 5.6% | 7.6% | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Technical & Trade-related | 4.7% | 8.2% | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| Transport | 4.1% | -5.4% | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Travel | 3.9% | 36.4% | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Insurance | 3.6% | 7.0% | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Key Insight: Travel services rebounded dramatically with 36.4% growth in 2023, recovering from pandemic closures, while telecommunications and IT services showed the strongest long-term growth at 8.7% annually.
Export Structure by Region (2023)
| Region | Manufacturing | Agriculture | Natural Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed Countries | 76% ($9.8T) | 10% ($1.3T) | 14% ($1.8T) |
| East Asia | 90% ($5.7T) | 4% ($0.3T) | 6% ($0.4T) |
| South Asia | 70% ($0.4T) | 8% ($0.0T) | 22% ($0.1T) |
| Rest of Asia | 45% ($0.8T) | 30% ($0.5T) | 25% ($0.4T) |
| Latin America | 40% ($0.6T) | 17% ($0.3T) | 43% ($0.6T) |
| Africa | 22% ($0.2T) | 17% ($0.1T) | 62% ($0.4T) |
Key Insight: Africa remains heavily dependent on natural resource exports (62%), while East Asia has achieved the most diversified manufacturing-focused export structure at 90%.
Import Structure by Region (2023)
| Region | Manufacturing | Agriculture | Natural Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed Countries | 68% ($9.4T) | 8% ($1.1T) | 24% ($3.3T) |
| East Asia | 70% ($3.8T) | 8% ($0.4T) | 22% ($1.2T) |
| South Asia | 66% ($0.5T) | 10% ($0.1T) | 24% ($0.2T) |
| Rest of Asia | 62% ($1.0T) | 16% ($0.3T) | 22% ($0.4T) |
| Latin America | 68% ($1.0T) | 11% ($0.2T) | 20% ($0.3T) |
| Africa | 60% ($0.4T) | 18% ($0.1T) | 21% ($0.1T) |
Key Insight: All regions import predominantly manufactured goods (60-70%), but Africa allocates a notably higher share (18%) to agricultural imports.
Major Trade Partners (2023)
| Country Pair | 2023 Value (US$ Billion) | Growth 2018-2023 | Growth 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union – United States | 958 | 7.1% | 1.5% |
| China – European Union | 897 | 4.9% | -8.9% |
| Mexico – United States | 783 | 5.4% | 1.2% |
| Canada – United States | 784 | 0.7% | -0.4% |
| China – United States | 664 | -3.1% | -1.7% |
| European Union – United Kingdom | 574 | -0.4% | -1.5% |
| Switzerland – European Union | 517 | 5.8% | 0.9% |
| China – Japan | 364 | -1.9% | -1.5% |
| China – Republic of Korea | 354 | -1.8% | -9.8% |
| China – Russian Federation | 245 | 18.4% | 1.2% |
Key Insight: The EU-US trade relationship ($958B) remains the world’s largest bilateral flow and has grown (7.1%), while China-US trade has declined (-3.1%) amid ongoing tensions.
Manufacturing Integration by Region (2023)
| Region Pair | Integration Level 2023 | Change 2018-2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Within Developed Countries | 54% | -1pp |
| Within East Asia | 45% | +3pp |
| Within Latin America | 28% | -4pp |
| Within Rest of Asia | 19% | +2pp |
| Within South Asia | 12% | -4pp |
| Within Africa | 8% | -1pp |
| Developed – East Asia | 32% | -2pp |
| Developed – Latin America | 36% | 0pp |
| Developed – South Asia | 27% | 0pp |
| East Asia – Latin America | 12% | 0pp |
Key Insight: Developed countries (54%) and East Asia (45%) maintain highly integrated manufacturing networks, while Africa’s minimal integration (8%) could mean limited industrial linkages within the continent.
Manufacturing Integration by Sector (2023)
| Sector | Global Integration 2023 | Change 2018-2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Plastics and Rubber | 50% | -1pp |
| Machinery | 49% | -1pp |
| Precision Instruments | 46% | -4pp |
| Electrical Machinery | 39% | -2pp |
| Chemical Products | 40% | -2pp |
| Transport and Automotive | 36% | 0pp |
| Other Base Metals | 36% | -3pp |
| Iron and Steel | 27% | +3pp |
| Other Manufacturing | 26% | -1pp |
| Textiles and Apparel | 18% | 0pp |
Key Insight: Plastics and rubber (50%) and machinery (49%) sectors show the highest global integration, while textiles and apparel (18%) remain largely characterized by one-way trade flows rather than intra-industry exchange.
Leading Export Nations by Product Category (2023)
| Sector | 1st (Share) | 2nd (Share) | 3rd (Share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | |||
| Animal Products | USA (8%) | Netherlands (7%) | Germany (6%) |
| Cereals | USA (14%) | Brazil (9%) | Australia (8%) |
| Coffee/Tea/Spices | Brazil (13%) | India (7%) | Vietnam (7%) |
| Fruits/Vegetables | Mexico (9%) | Spain (8%) | USA (7%) |
| Oil Seeds/Oils | Brazil (19%) | USA (11%) | Indonesia (10%) |
| Prepared Foodstuff | USA (7%) | Germany (7%) | France (6%) |
| Natural Resources | |||
| Metal Ores | Australia (32%) | Brazil (13%) | Chile (8%) |
| Mineral Fuels | USA (12%) | Russia (8%) | Saudi Arabia (7%) |
| Minerals | Australia (19%) | China (6%) | Turkey (5%) |
| Manufacturing | |||
| Chemical Products | USA (11%) | Germany (10%) | China (10%) |
| Electrical Machinery | China (32%) | Taiwan (11%) | Rep. Korea (7%) |
| Machinery | China (22%) | USA (11%) | Germany (10%) |
| Textiles/Apparel | China (31%) | Vietnam (8%) | Italy (6%) |
| Transport/Automotive | Germany (15%) | USA (10%) | China (9%) |
Key Insight: China dominates manufacturing exports in electrical machinery (32%) and textiles (31%), while the USA leads in agricultural exports across multiple categories and natural resource sectors.
Leading Import Nations by Product Category (2023)
| Sector | 1st (Share) | 2nd (Share) | 3rd (Share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | |||
| Animal Products | China (12%) | USA (9%) | Germany (6%) |
| Cereals | China (11%) | Japan (5%) | Mexico (4%) |
| Coffee/Tea/Spices | USA (17%) | Germany (8%) | France (6%) |
| Fruits/Vegetables | USA (16%) | China (9%) | Germany (8%) |
| Oil Seeds/Oils | China (26%) | USA (6%) | India (5%) |
| Natural Resources | |||
| Metal Ores | China (64%) | Japan (7%) | Rep. Korea (6%) |
| Mineral Fuels | China (16%) | USA (9%) | India (6%) |
| Minerals | China (28%) | USA (8%) | India (5%) |
| Manufacturing | |||
| Chemical Products | USA (14%) | China (7%) | Germany (7%) |
| Electrical Machinery | China (15%) | USA (13%) | Hong Kong (9%) |
| Machinery | USA (17%) | China (7%) | Germany (7%) |
| Textiles/Apparel | USA (15%) | Germany (7%) | France (5%) |
| Transport/Automotive | USA (19%) | Germany (8%) | UK (5%) |
Key Insight: China’s dominance as an importer is most pronounced in natural resources, accounting for 64% of global metal ore imports and 28% of minerals.
References
DataGlobeHub makes use of the best available data sources to support each publication. We prioritize sources of good reputation, like government sources, authoritative sources, expert sources, and well-researched publications. When citing our sources, we provide the report title followed by the publication name. Where not applicable, we provide just the publication name.
- Trade and tariff data – World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Key statistics and trends in international trade – UNCTAD
- Trade Data – United Nations
- World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) – World Bank
- Trade statistics – International Trade Centre (ITC)
- International Trade in Goods (by partner country) (IMTS) – International Monetary Fund (IMF)
