WTO: Global commerce saw fourth quarter boost in 2010

Mar 14, 2011, 16:03 GMT

Geneva - The value of world merchandise trade was 17 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2010 than in the same period the previous year, the World Trade Organization said Monday.

This brought the total value for the quarter to 4.1 trillion dollars, slightly above the previous three-month period, according to an analysis of the WTO data.

The region with the largest growth rate, year-on-year, was South and Central America with exports growing by 25 per cent and imports by 30 per cent. In Asia, exports rose by about 23 per cent and imports by around 22 per cent.

Despite some dips during 2010, including during December, the year as a whole faired better for international commerce than in 2009, which was feeling the harshest impact from the global economic downturn.

In April, the WTO is due to release more comprehensive global commerce data.

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