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Sustainable trade

Global trade update


Published 09 March 2021 | 1 minute read

The report provides a brief on the overall trade performance in the Asia and the Pacific.

According to the report, the economic and social disruptions brought about by COVID-19 greatly affected global trade during 2020. Overall, world trade recorded a drop in value of about 9 per cent in 2020, with trade in goods declining by about 6 per cent and trade in services decreasing by about 16.5 per cent.

The effect of COVID-19 on global trade was most severe during the first half of 2020 with a drop in value of about 15 per cent. Global trade began to recover in Q3 2020 and more strongly in Q4 2020. The recovery in the second half of 2020 was largely due to the rebound of trade in goods. Trade in services continues to lag substantially below averages. In Q4 2020 global trade in goods grew by about 8 per cent on a quarter-over-quarter basis while trade in services stagnated at Q3 2020 levels.

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UNCTAD

UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Their headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and they have offices in New York and Addis Ababa.

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