WT/COMTD/W/201  
 
14 October 2013  
(13-5609)  Page: 1/54  
Committee on Trade and Development 
   
 
  
PARTICIPATION OF DEVELOPING ECONOM IES IN THE GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT* 
 
EXECUTIVE SU MMARY ...................................................................................................... 3  
1   INTROD UCTION  .......................................................................................................... 5  
2   OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................  5 
2.1   Developing economies' exports and imports slowed down less severely than world 
trade in 2011 and 2012  ..................................................................................................... 5  
2.2   Developing economies' participatio n in world trade cont inued to grow ............................... 6  
2.3   Outlook fo r 2013 and 2014 ......................................................................................... 7  
2.3.1   Economic and trade developments re mained slow in the fi rst half of  2013 ....................... 7  
2.3.2   World and developing economies' trade should pick up in the second half of 2013 
and in  2014 ................................................................................................................... .. 8 
2.3.3   Risk to the forecast in the second half of  2013 and 20 14 .............................................. 9  
3   MERCHANDISE TRADE DEVELO PMENTS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2012  ............................. 9  
3.1   Trade slowed down in all developing re gions but less than in developed countries ............... 9  
3.2   South-South exchanges expanded and continued supporting developing economies ........... 11 
3.3   Driven by South-South trade, developing economies' participation in world trade 
increased in all product categories ...................................................................................... 12 
3.4   Fuel price hike affect developing econom ies' import bills and their export structure ............ 13 
3.5   Developing economies' merchandise trad e by region ..................................................... 15 
3.5.1   Latin America ........................................................................................................ 16 
3.5.2   Develo ping Europe ................................................................................................. 17 
3.5.3   Africa ................................................................................................................ ... 18 
3.5.4   Middle East ...........................................................................................................  20 
3.5.5   Developing Asia ..................................................................................................... 21 
4   TRADE IN COMMERCIAL SERVICES 2010-2012 .......................................................... 22  
4.1   Tr anspor t ............................................................................................................... . 24 
4.2   Travel .................................................................................................................. ... 25 
4.3   Other comme rcial serv ices ......................................................................................... 27 
4.4   Direction of  services trade ......................................................................................... 30 
                                               
* This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  4.5   Modes of supply ....................................................................................................... 31 
5   THE IMPORTANCE OF GVCS FOR DEVELOPING ECONOMIES EVIDENCED 
THROUGH THE TRADE IN VA LUE ADDED A PPROACH ...................................................... 32  
ANNEX ......................................................................................................................... .. 35 
APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................  37 
 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
After recovering in 2010 from the recent global economic crisis, the world economy decelerated in 
2011 and continued to lose speed in 2012. The factors that led to this global slowdown originated 
mainly in developed countries although activity in China and other leading developing economies 
also decelerated. Developing economies' trade consequently slowed down both in 2011 and 2012, 
yet less than developed countries'. Following a trend that began in the early 2000s, the share in world trade of developing economies' exports and imports of goods and commercial services 
continued to grow and attained respectively 41% and 39% in 2012. In the first half of 2013, the 
world economy remained slow. Nevertheless, ma ny negative trends affecting it may have 
bottomed out and the pace of economic activity and trade is expected to pick up for both developed and developing economies. 
All developing regions saw their merchandise exports and imports increase faster than world trade. 
The Middle East's exports rose spectacularly driven  by high fuel prices and production, and oil 
exporters also largely contributed to lifting Latin America's exports. The Arab spring events caused 
Africa's export volume to drop in 2011 but it picked up again in 2012. More than others, 
developing European countries suffered depressed demand from their developed neighbours. Although China and India's trade rose fast, a ma jority of developing Asian economies' exports 
increased less than world trade between 2010 and 2012.  
South-South merchandise trade strengthened again in 2011 and 2012 as exchanges between 
developing economies increased faster than with crisis-stricken developed countries. Developing Asia's imports from the Middle East as well as China's exports to developing economies outside 
Asia increased particularly fast. In contrast, the fall in demand for final manufactured goods 
slowed the movement of intermediate input within global supply chains, which contributed to lessen the growth of intra-developing Asia trade. 
Trade in office and telecommunication equipment was particularly sluggish, which affected the six 
East Asian traders (NICs6) in spite of the relative ly high export growths they registered in other 
manufactured products. China, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh posted remarkable increases in 
their manufacture exports between 2010 and 2 012, much higher than most of the large 
manufacture exporters outside Asia. China's manufacture imports however slowed markedly in the period from 2010 to 2012. 
Primary commodity prices rose rapidly throughout 2010 to peak in April 2011, and then remained 
at a relatively high level. On average, cereal prices were over 40% in 2012 compared with 2010, 
mainly due to prices of maize and wheat. Rice prices were however kept relatively stable thanks to an abundant global production, which contributed to mitigating the rise in developing economies' 
food import bill. Nevertheless, the weight of fuel in a majority of developing economies' import 
bills increased significantly owing to a fast increase in prices.  
Developing economies' participation in world trade in commercial services increased markedly from 
2010 to 2012, mainly due to developing Asia. Developing economies' exports of other commercial 
services rose faster than of travel and transpor t, and imports of the three categories grew at a 
similar pace.  
Transportation exports and imports increased considerably faster in the Middle East than other 
developing regions. Travel receipts represent an important source of revenue for developing 
economies. Many developing Asian economies register ed strong growth in their travel exports, in 
contrast with China's where international touris t arrivals stagnated in 2012. On the other hand, 
China became the world leading travel spender in  2012, and travel expenditures by residents of 
other developing Asian economies also rose fast, boosted by higher disposable income. Latin America's exports and imports of other commercia l services rose markedly faster between 2010 
and 2012 than those of other developing regions,  boosted by Brazil's trade performance. In 
general, developing economies' contribution in world trade as exporters of other commercial services continued to be limited in each subsecto r to a few key players, of ten in developing Asia. 
Available data and estimates broken down geographically show that South-South trade in services 
rose very rapidly since 2000, and that its share in developing economies' total exports of services 
rose from an estimated 16.5% in 2000 to about a third in 2010.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  For the time being, Foreign Affiliate Trade Statistics (FATS) that would enable the measurement of 
GATS mode 3 (commercial presence) are not widely compiled by developing economies. An estimate of the importance of the three other modes in available Balance of Payments (BOP) data suggests that modes 1 and 2 (respectively cross-border supply and consumption abroad) account 
for most of developing economies' exports. 
Through fostering trade in intermediate goods and services, global value chains (GVCs) are known 
to play an important role in developing economies' growth. A new WTO-OECD statistical database, 
the Trade in Value-Added (TiVA) database, has been launched recently that gives access to 
indicators on trade in value-added of 57 economies, broken down geographically and by 18 sectors of activity covering both goods and services . Among other uses, these data quantify the 
involvement of developing economies in global value chains, measure the role of developing Asia 
in global manufacturing and show the importance of the services sector in global manufacturing. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION 
1.  This document has been prepared by the Secretariat to assist the Committee on Trade and 
Development (CTD) in meeting its requirement to continuously review the participation of developing economy Members in the multilateral trading system. It updates previous studies on 
this topic produced for the Committee in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2011.
1 The first 
part of this report provides an overview of de veloping economies' trade since 2010, including an 
outlook on trade and GDP in 2013 and 2014 based on the WTO's latest forecast. The second part 
reviews detailed aspects and salient features of  developing economies' merchandise trade from 
2010 to 2012, while the third part focuses on their trade in commercial services. An introduction of 
developing economies' involvement in global value chains (GVCs) as measured in the trade in value-added (TiVA) statistics database concludes the document. The report is completed by an 
annex, which describes some aspects of developi ng economies' domestic conditions for trading 
across borders. A statistical appendix containing a series of specific tabulations and the composition of regions and economic groupings used in this report is also included.
2 
2.  Wherever relevant, tables include memorand um items on the trade performance of the least 
developed countries (LDCs), which are a subset of developing economies. Specific aspects of their trade are, however, not discussed as they are the subject of another recent in-depth study.
3 
2  OVERVIEW 
2.1  Developing economies' exports and impo rts slowed down less severely than world 
trade in 2011 and 2012 
3.  The 2008-2009 global economic crisis was fo llowed by a period of economic recovery that 
lasted until end 2010, in which developed and developing economies registered strong export and 
import growths. In 2011, world GDP and trade grew  more slowly, severely affected by the euro 
area sovereign debt crisis and concerns over the US government debt. Although economic activity 
improved in the United States in the beginning of 2012, the euro area crisis intensified and China's 
economic growth decelerated from 9.3% to less  than 8% over the year. This contributed to 
another slowdown of the global economy in 2012.  After growing by 14% in 2010, the volume of 
world merchandise trade registered 5.5% growth in 2011, before decelerating to 2.5% in 2012. 
Chart 1: World, developed, developing an d CIS economies quarterly merchandise trade 
volume, 2010-2013 
(Indices 2010Q1=100, seasonally adjusted) 
10Q1 11Q1 12Q1 13Q1Exports
World Developed economies Developing economies and CIS100105110115120125
10Q1 11Q1 12Q1 13Q1Imports
 
 
4.  The dull global economic conditions affected developing economies which saw their trade growth decelerate between 2010 and 2012. From 2010Q4 to 2012Q4, the volume of merchandise 
                                               
1 The 2011 document is WT/COMTD/W/181. 
2 Data published in this document (unless otherwise indicated) are derived from the WTO's International 
Trade Statistics Report  2012 and, the WTO's Statistics Database 
(www.wto.org/english/res_e/ statis_e/statis_e.htm ). For more information on the definitions of indicators and 
detailed sources of data, see the Technical Notes in the above mentioned report or the WTO's Statistics 
website. 
3 WT/COMTD/LDC/W/58. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  exports by developing economies and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)4 rose only 
by about 1% per quarter, much slower than the 3% average quarterly growth registered during 
2010. Owing to the growing importance of South-So uth trade and the relatively sturdy growth in 
developing economies' imports, developing ec onomies' export growth during 2011 and 2012 was 
however significantly faster than world trade.  
5.  When looking at annual results, developing economies merchandise export and import volumes 
increased respectively by 6.5% and 7.5% in 2011, then by 4% and 5% in 2012. In terms of 
current US dollars, the slowdown was more pronounced: the annual growth in developing 
economies' merchandise export and import value went from more than 20% in 2011 to just 4% in 2012.  
Chart 2: World and developing economies' trade in goods and commercial services, in 
nominal terms, 2010-2012 
(Annual % change) 
0 1 02 03 0
Developing economies imports Developing economies exports World tradeMerchandise trade Trade in commercial services
01 0 2 0 3 0201020112012
 
 
6.  Likewise, developing economies' trade in commercial services decelerated in both 2011 and 2012. Their exports and imports, whose prices ar e generally less volatile, grew by 13% and 15% 
respectively in 2011 and by about 7% each in 2012. Like merchandise, developing economies' 
commercial services trade increased substantially faster than world trade in both years. 
2.2  Developing economies' participation in world trade continued to grow 7.  The participation of developing economies in world trade had risen particularly fast during the 
2000s, including the 2008-2009 global economic crisis which was less severe for them than for 
developed countries. In the dull global econ omic context that prevailed in 2011 and 2012, 
developing economies' share in world trade cont inued rising, gaining two to three percentage 
points.  
Chart 3: Share of developing economies in world trade, 2000-2012 
(%) 
202530354045
Commercial service exportsCommercial service im portsMerchandise ex ports3841
35
304144
38
32Merchandise im ports
 
 
                                               
4 This aggregate is a reliable approximation of deve loping economies, which account for over 90% of the 
total of developing plus CIS econom ies. Developing economies are not available separately from the CIS in 
WTO's quarterly merchandise trade volume statistics, as well as WTO's annual forecasts.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  8.  The share of developing economies' imports of merchandise and commercial services in world 
trade reached 41% and 38% respectively in 2012. Sustained by South-South trade, developing economies' merchandise exports also increased faster than developed countries' and saw their share in world trade increase from 41% to 44% between 2010 and 2012. The share of developing 
economies' commercial services exports in world trade increased from 30% to 32%. 
Table 1: Developing economies trade in goods and commercial services between 2000 
and 2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 Exports Imports 
 Value Share in world Value Share in world 
 2012 2000 2010 2012 2012 2000 2010 2012 
Developing economiesa 9195 29.9 38.6 41.0 8584 28.2 37.0 39.2 
Developing Asiaa 5453 17.2 23.5 24.3 5266 16.5 22.7 24.1 
China 2250 3.6 9.3 10.0 2020 3.2 8.3 9.2 
India 431 0.8 1.9 1.9 565 0.9 2.4 2.6 
Other a 2771 12.8 12.4 12.3 2681 12.3 12.0 12.3 
Non-Asian developing 
economies 3742 12.7 15.1 16.7 3318 11.6 14.4 15.2 
Latin America 1289 5.6 5.5 5.7 1306 5.8 5.6 6.0 
Brazil 281 0.8 1.2 1.3 301 0.9 1.3 1.4 
Middle East 1501 3.9 5.4 6.7 963 2.7 4.1 4.4 
Memorandum items         
Developed countries 12315 68.0 57.8 54.9 12558 70.4 60.1 57.4 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States 931 2.1 3.6 4.1 732 1.4 2.9 3.3 
a Excluding Hong Kong, China re-exports or imports for re-exports. 
 
9.  While Asian economies have been the engine of growth for developing economies' trade 
between 2008 and 2010, virtually all developing regions increased their participation in world trade 
in goods and commercial services between 2010 and 2012. Owing to increases in both oil prices and exported quantities, the Middle East increase d its share in world exports by 1.3 percentage 
points, reaching 6.7%. China's role continued growin g, although at a slower pace than in previous 
year, and the share of its exports and imports in world trade gained almost one percentage point. 
Altogether, developing Asia, Latin America
5 and the Middle East saw the contribution of their 
imports to world trade gain 2.1 percentage points as demand collapsed in developed countries. 
10.  Looking at individual developing economies, 78 of the 147 for which data or estimates are 
available saw their exports of goods and commercial services increase faster than world trade from 
2010 to 2012, and 91 registered faster import  growths. Although developing economies 
collectively record a positive balance, the vast majority remain net importers of goods and 
commercial services: 108 in 2012 compared with 104 in 2010. For about half of these net importers, the cover ratio (the ratio of exports to imports) improved or remained stable between 2010 and 2012. The cover ratio however deteriorated by more than five percentage points for 
36 developing economies, including 15 LDCs. Overall, 31 developing economies had a cover ratio 
inferior to 50% in 2012, including 22 LDCs. 
2.3  Outlook for 2013 and 2014 
2.3.1  Economic and trade developments remained slow in the first half of 2013 
11.  The first half of 2013 was characterized by sl ow output growth in many leading economies, 
including large developing economies that until recently had been expanding quite rapidly. The 
recession in the euro area extended until the first quarter of 2013, reducing import demand in 
developed economies and dampening exports from developing economies. The United States has 
avoided a relapse into recession since its recovery began in 2009Q3, but the country's imports were nearly flat in 2013 as US GDP growth remained tepid. Although Japan saw its imports climb 
as its economy accelerated following the adoption of more expansionary monetary and fiscal 
policies, this growth was outweighed by the sl ump in EU imports (including intra-EU trade). 
Overall, the volume of developed economies' imports fell 1.6% year-on-year in the first half of 
2013. Developing economies continued to record faster GDP growth than developed countries on 
                                               
5 Including the Caribbean. See Appendix 7. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  average, yet slower than in the recent past. Ch ina outpaced most other economies in terms of 
output growth in the first half of 2013, but re mains considerably slower than before. India's 
economy has slowed more abruptly recently, but Brazil's GDP growth has picked up following a period of relative stagnation. On average, in the first half of 2013, imports of developing 
economies and the CIS were up 4.9% year-on-year in volume terms. Weak global import demand 
held back exports from both developing economies (up 2.1% year-on-year) and developed economies (up 0.4%), resulting in world merchandise trade volume growth of just 1.2% in the first 
half of 2013. 
Chart 4: World, developed, developing an d CIS economies quarterly merchandise trade 
volume, 2012-2013
a 
(Seasonally adjusted indices, 2012Q1=100) 
9095100105110
12Q1
12Q2
12Q3
12Q413Q113Q213Q313Q4Exports
World Developed Developing and CIS9095100105110
12Q1
12Q212Q312Q413Q113Q2
13Q3
13Q4Imports
World Developed Developing and CIS
 
a 2013Q3 and Q4 are projections. 
 
2.3.2  World and developing economies' trade should pick up in the second half of 2013 
and in 2014 
12.  Developed economies' import growth was unexpectedly weak in the first half of 2013, which 
prompted the Secretariat to revise downward its forecasts in September 2013. Despite the 
downgrade, the Secretariat believes that many of the negative trends affecting the world economy at the moment may have bottomed out, and that we may start to see improvements in trade and 
output in the second half of the year. The Secretariat now expects world merchandise trade 
volume to grow by 2.5% in 2013 and 4.5% in 2014. Developing economies and the CIS should see their exports advance 3.6% in 2013, and 6.3% in 2014 as imports start to recover in developed countries. On the import side, developing economies and the CIS should gain 5.8% in 2013 and 
6.2% in 2014.  The Secretariat does not publish a separate trade forecast for developing 
economies alone (i.e. excluding the CIS), but assuming CIS export growth in line with IMF projections implies export growth of 3.8% in 2013 and 6.6% in 2014 for developing economies. 
Using the same estimation approach on the import  side, developing economies' trade should grow 
by 5.8% in 2013 and 6.1% in 2014. By comparis on, exports of developed economies are only 
expected to rise by 1.5% in 2013 and 2.8% in 2014, while their imports are projected to decline 
slightly (-0.1%) in 2013 before rebounding (+3.2%) in 2014. 
Table 2: World merchandise trade and GDP, 2010-2014
a 
(Annual % change) 
  2011 2012 2013P 2014P 
Volume of world merchandise tradeb 5.4 2.3 2.5 4.5 
Exports     
Developed economies 5.1 1.1 1.5 2.8 
Developing economies and CIS 5.9 3.8 3.6 6.3 
of which: developing economies 6.3 4.0 3.8 6.6 
Imports     
Developed economies 3.2 0.0 -0.1 3.2 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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    2011 2012 2013P 2014P 
Developing economies and CIS 8.1 4.9 5.8 6.2 
of which: developing economies 7.5 4.8 5.8 6.1 
     
Real GDP at market exchange rates 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.6 
Developed economies 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.9 
Developing economies and CIS 5.5 4.7 4.5 4.9 
of which: develo ping economies 5.5 4.9 4.7 5.1 
a Figures for 2013 and 2014 are projections. 
b Average of exports and imports. 
Source:  WTO Secretariat for trade, consensus estimates of economic forecasters for GDP. 
 
2.3.3  Risk to the forecast in the second half of 2013 and 2014 
13.  The most significant short-run risk is the phase out of unconventional monetary policy in the 
United States, which could produce unanticipated reactions in developing economies ranging from large shifts in FDI to strong fluctuations in exchange rates that could affect trade flows in the second half of 2013. However, the recent pause in reducing quantitative easing suggests that the 
US Federal Reserve will proceed cautiously and that any such phase-out will be gradual. Over the 
medium term, the recovery of import demand in  developed economies could be prolonged due to 
high unemployment in euro area economies (Germany being a notable exception), which could 
limit exports of developing economies in 2014. In this case, improving economic prospects in the 
United States and greater trade between develo ping economies could partly make up such a 
shortfall. 
3  MERCHANDISE TRADE DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2012 
3.1  Trade slowed down in all developing regions but less than in developed countries 
14.  Quarterly merchandise trade data illustrate that in all developing regions, merchandise 
exports and imports grew rapidly in the wake of the recovery from the 2008-2009 global crisis, 
then started decelerating in mid-2011. The slowdown impacted the six East Asian traders (NICs6)
6 
and Africa's exports more severely than other developing regions.  
                                               
6 The composition is provided in Appendix 7. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  Chart 5: quarterly merchandise trade valu e of developing economies by region, 
2010-2013 
(Indices 2010Q1=100, not seasonally adjusted) 
95100105110115120125130135140145150155160165170
10Q1 11Q1 12Q1 13Q1Africa and Middle East 
Exports Imports world trade Fuel pricesAfrica 
exportsMiddle East exports
10Q1 11Q1 12Q1 13Q1Other developing economies
10Q1 11Q1 12Q1 13Q1NICs6 and developing Asia
NICs6(incl. China)other developing Asia
 
 
15.  In a number of North African and Middle Eastern countries, the Arab Spring events in early 
2011 caused considerable institutional changes and also altered durably some countries' economies and trade. Global trade flows were part icularly affected by the interruption of Libya's 
considerable oil exports during the civil war that lasted from February to October 2011. Africa's 
exported quantities dropped, which caused fuel pr ices to hike, and the shortage of Libyan oil on 
global markets was mainly offset by an increase in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's production. 
Middle East exports consequently increased by 40 % in 2011, much faster than any other region, 
while Africa's exports grew by 17% only. After the en d of the political crisis in Libya, both regions' 
export performances followed closely fuel and pr imary commodity price developments and rose by 
6% and 5% respectively in 2012. 
16.  The NICs6 saw their exports increase by 16% in 2011 and stagnate in 2012, while their 
imports grew much more slowly than those of ot her developing economies. To a certain extent, 
the movement of merchandise within global value chains (GVCs) suffered disruptions after the 
Japanese earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011, but NICs6 exports and imports did not pick up 
significantly after activity resumed in Japan.
7 Although considerably less dull, China's exports and 
imports also slowed down. China's exports increa sed by 20% in 2011 and then 8% in 2012, while 
its import growth dropped from 25% in 2011 to only 4% in 2012.  
Table 3: Developing economies merchandise trade by regions and selected economies, 
2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and % change) 
 Exports Imports 
 Value Annual % change Value Annual % change 
 2012 2011 2012 2012 2011 2012 
Developing economiesa 7835 23 4 7392 22 4 
Latin America 1120 25 1 1135 22 4 
Developing Europe 188 19 9 300 27 -3 
Africa 630 17 5 610 19 8 
Middle East 1349 40 6 740 17 9 
Developing Asiaa 4548 20 3 4607 23 4 
                                               
7 Through data sourced from the new OECD-WTO Tr ade in Value Added (TiVA) database, Chapter 4 
evidences the strong links between the six NICs and wi th other East Asian economies through GVCs. See also 
paragraph 20 on trade within developing Asia. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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   Exports Imports 
 Value Annual % change Value Annual % change 
 2012 2011 2012 2012 2011 2012 
China  2049 20 8 1818 25 4 
NICs (6)a 1737 16 0 1754 19 2 
Other 762 27 0 1034 29 5 
Memorandum items       
Worlda 17930 20 0 18188 19 0 
Developed economies 9290 17 -3 10227 17 -2 
Commonwealth of Independent 
States 805 34 2 569 30 5 
LDCs (49) 206 25 1 224 23 8 
a Excluding Hong Kong, China re-exp orts or imports for re-exports. 
 
17.  Latin America's exports rose by a remarkable 25% in 2011 then slowed down to 1% the 
following year. Developing Europe's exports increased by 19% in 2011 and by a further 9% in 2012.
8 Developing Europe's imports rose by 27% in 2011 but dropped by 3% in 2012. 
3.2  South-South exchanges expanded and continued supporting developing economies9 
Chart 6: Developing economies' merchandis e trade with developing, developed and CIS 
economies, 2000-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
05001000150020002500300035004000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012South-South trade
Exports to developed and 
CIS countries
Imports from developed and CIS 
countries
 
 
18.  The share of South-South trade in developing economies' total exports and imports increased 
markedly during the 2000s. By 2008, South-South trade accounted for 46% of developing economies' exports, which helped them mitigate the effects of the global economic crisis and resist 
better than developed countries. In 2010 this share reached about 50%, and continued rising in 
2011 and 2012 as all developing regions increased their trade with other developing economies much faster than with crisis-stricken developed countries.  
19.  All in all, South-South trade grew by 33% between 2010 and 2012, while developing 
economies' trade with developed and CIS increased by about 20%. Developing Asia's imports from 
and exports to other developing regions increased particularly fast during the period, by 47% and 
36% respectively. Notable were the 59% rise in imports from the Middle East and the 44% 
increase in China's exports outside Asia. Merchandise exchanges among non-Asian developing 
economies were also relatively dynamic and gained 32%. 
                                               
8 The large increase in 2012 was mainly accounted for by Turkey's gold exports to Iran and the United 
Arab Emirates. They are linked to the payment of fu el imports from Iran in the context of international 
sanctions preventing the use of euros, US dollars and of the modern bank transfer system. If these gold 
exports were excluded, the increase in developing Europe's exports in 2012 would fall from 9% to 2%. 
9 Statistics described in this section are sourced from the WTO network of world merchandise trade, 
which is based on the geographical di stribution of exports adjusted for di stortions relating to large re-export 
activities. Import data might thus  slightly differ from st atistics published by other official sources. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
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  20.  Intra-developing Asia trade grew by 27% between 2010 and 2012, significantly less rapidly 
than other South-South trade flows. As discusse d further below in Chapter 4 on developing 
economies' trade in value added, developing Asian economies are strongly interconnected within GVCs where final products are manufactured using multiple intermediate goods and services from 
various origins. While many of these final products are consumed in developed countries, trade 
within intra-developing Asian GVCs was particularly sensitive to the slowdown or drop in demand from their developed markets in 2011-2012. Adding  to the slowdown of trade within GVCs, the 
relatively slow increase in intra-developing Asian trade was also accounted for by the fact that 
manufacture prices increased less than those of primary commodities, and that China's imports from other developing Asian economies increased only by 21% over the two-year period. 
Table 4: Origins and destinations of deve loping economies' merchandise trade by 
economic groupings, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 Value % change Share in world 
 2012 2011 2012 10-12a 2010 2011 2012 
South-South trade, of which 4003 25 6 33 20.2 21.0 22.3 
Intra developing Asia 1814 21 5 27 9.6 9.7 10.1 
Developing Asia extra imports of which  874 35 9 47 4.0 4.5 4.9 
from Middle East 571 43 11 59 2.4 2.9 3.2 
from other developing regions 303 23 6 30 1.6 1.6 1.7 
Developing Asia extra exports of which  641 26 8 36 3.2 3.3 3.6 
China's exports 318 29 12 44 1.5 1.6 1.8 
Other developing Asia exports 323 24 4 29 1.7 1.7 1.8 
Trade among non-Asian developing 
economies 673 26 5 32 3.4 3.6 3.8 
Exports to developed and CIS countries 3586 20 2 22 19.8 19.7 20.0 
Imports from developed and CIS countries 2936 18 1 19 16.6 16.3 16.4 
Memorandum item        
World trade 17930 20 0 20 100 100 100 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the diffe rence between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes.  
3.3  Driven by South-South trade, developing economies' participation in world trade 
increased in all product categories 
21.  Developing economies' agricultural exports and imports grew by almost 30% in 2011, in 
marked contrast to developed countries' 18% increase. The contribution of developing economies 
in world trade in agricultural products reached about 40% in 2012, up by 1.5 percentage points on the export side and 3 points on the import side  compared with 2010. China's imports and India's 
exports rose by 45% and 80% respectively during this period, largely contributing to lifting 
developing economies' share. 
22.  Owing mainly to the war in Libya, Middle Eastern countries raised the volume of their oil 
production and compensated for the fall in Afri ca's fuel exports in 2011. Consequently, between 
2010 and 2012, the Middle East lifted the share of it s exports in world trade in fuels by almost two 
percentage points, reaching 26% while Africa lost 1 point. All in all, the contribution of developing economies' exports to world trade in fuels went from 57% to 58% between 2010 and 2012.  
23.  The growth of developed countries' fuel imports was particularly slow between 2010 and 
2012. Following the discovery of new domestic ener gy resources, the United States reduced the 
volume of its crude oil imports by 10% over th e period, and depressed developed economies in 
Europe raised their fuel imports considerably less than developing economies. The share of 
developing economies' imports in world trade in fuels consequently rose from 38% to 41%. Weak 
economic activity in developed countries also resulted in a sizeable increase in the share of developing economies in world imports of non-fuel minerals, from 46% to 48%. 
24.  The value of both developed countries' manufacture exports and imports was barely 10% 
higher in 2012 than in 2010, after increasing by 14% in 2011 then decreasing by 3% in 2012. 
When considered as a group, developing econom ies experienced a milder slowdown and saw their 
share in world manufacture exports and impo rts gain two points, reaching 40% and 38% WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 13 - 
 
  respectively. Trade developments were howeve r particularly contrasted among developing 
economies regarding their manufactured products. 
Table 5: Developing economies merc handise trade by product, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 Exports Importsa 
Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change 
2012 10 12 11 12 2012 10 12 11 12 
All products 7835 41 44 23 4 7392 38 41 22 4 
Agricultural products 646 38 39 27 -1 667 37 40 29 2 
Developing Asia 309 17 19 33 -1 363 20 22 30 3 
Fuels 1941 57 58 38 5 1370 38 41 40 10 
Africa 384 12 11 18 11 94 3 3 35 12 
Middle East 893 25 26 46 6 66 2 2 24 13 
Developing Asia 403 12 12 41 2 959 27 28 39 10 
Non-fuel minerals 311 41 41 24 -9 365 46 48 29 -8 
Latin America 135 17 18 28 -11 26 3 3 34 -7 
Developing Asia 90 13 12 17 -14 288 37 38 28 -9 
Manufactures 4634 38 40 17 4 4317 36 38 16 3 
Developing Asia 3667 30 32 17 4 2515 21 22 15 2 
a The import structure is derived from the WTO network of world merchandise trade. 
 
25.  The NICs6 saw their manufacture exports rise  by only 10% between 2010 and 2012, a rate 
comparable to that of developed countries. Wh ile both their exports of chemicals and other 
semi-manufactures increased by 24%, they suffered a fall in demand for their office and telecommunication equipment. NICs6 exports of finished IT products –that is electronic data processing (EDP) and office equipment and tele communication equipment –fell by 10% in 2012 
compared to 2010. Similarly, Mexico's export s of office and telecommunication equipment 
increased by only 5% between 2010 and 2012. Its exports of transportation equipment and other 
machinery however increased by 37% and 22% respectively, which contributed to Mexico's 
manufacture exports growing by 21% between 2010 and 2012. 
26.  China's exports of office and telecommuni cation equipment increased by 20% between 2010 
and 2012, causing its share in world trade to go up from 28% to 32%. Its other manufactured 
exports rose even faster and resulted in Chin a's total manufacture exports expanding by 30% 
between 2010 and 2012. In contrast, China's m a n u f a c t u r e  i m p o r t s  s l o w e d  d o w n  t o  a n  1 8 %  
increase.  
27.  Beside China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India also registered remarkable performances in 
their manufacture exports. Vietnam's soared by more than two-thirds, whereas Bangladesh and 
India's manufacture exports rose more than 30%  from 2010 to 2012. Outside Asia, only a few of 
the large manufacture-exporting countries saw their manufacture exports rise by slightly more 
than 20% along with Mexico: Chile, Turkey and Morocco. On the other hand, manufacture exports 
increased by less than 10% between 2010 and 2012 in Jordan, Israel, South Africa, Chinese 
Taipei, and Malaysia, and decreased in Tunisia, Philippines and Croatia. 
3.4  Fuel price hike affect developing econom ies' import bills and their export structure 
28.  Following about two years of strong growth, prices of metals and agricultural raw materials 
peaked in early 2011 and then declined continuous ly due to the slowdown in global economic 
activity and slackening demand in China and othe r emerging markets. On average, having started 
the year at a high level, the price of agricultural raw materials and metals were respectively 23% 
and 14% higher in 2011 than in 2010 but they dropped by 13% and 17% respectively in 2012.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 14 - 
 
  Chart 7: Monthly price developments fo r selected primary commodities, 2010-2013 
(Indices, January 2010=100) 
 
 
29.  Of all primary commodities, fuels registered the sharpest price hike in early 2011 and 
remained high until the end of the year due to shortages related to the Arab Spring events. The fall in Libya's production caused th e value of Africa's fuel exports to  rise only by 18% in 2011 while 
world price increased on average by 36% and the value of Middle Eastern exports rose by 46%. In 
the second quarter of 2012, world fuel prices fell sharply then increased again in the summer after 
an EU embargo on Iranian oil imports went into effect and violence and political instability continued in several oil-producing Middle Eastern countries. Fuel price increased on average by 1% 
in 2012. As Libya's production resumed Africa's exports rose by 11%, significantly more than the 
Middle East's 6% increase. 
30.  Droughts affected prices of wheat and ma ize which rose very fast throughout 2010 until the 
spring of 2011, eased a little then soared again in the summer of 2012, and remained high since. 
Cereal prices consequently recorded a sizeable 39% increase in 2011 and were 42% higher in 2012 compared to 2010. Yet, developing economies' food import bill increased at a relatively lower 
pace, 34%, partly  thanks to the good rice production that prompted India to lift its 4-year export 
ban in 2011 and kept prices at a stable level.  
31.  The weight of food in the majority of developing economies' import bills did not change 
significantly. Between 2010 and 2012, it remained stable or decreased in 92 of the 128 developing 
economies for which data are available. Thirty-six developing economies saw the share of food in 
their imports increase, of which 28 by less than three percentage points. The picture is however somehow different when adding fuel imports to the indicator, owing to the large increase in prices. 
The weight of food and fuels in total imports in creased in 81 out of 128 developing economies, and 
gained more than five percentage points in 26 of them.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 15 - 
 
  Chart 8: Selected flows in developing economies' trade and world prices, 2010-2012 
(Annual % change) 
- 2 0 - 1 00 1 02 03 04 0Fuel importsFood importsTotal exportsManufacture
exportsNon-fuel mineral
exportsFuel exportsRaw materials
exportsFood exportsDeveloping economies' exports/imports
2011 2012- 2 0 - 1 00 1 02 03 04 0EnergyCerealsDeveloping economies
export unit valueManufacturesMetalsCrude petroleumAgricultural
raw materialsFood and beveragesWorld prices
2011 2012 
 
32.  Developing economies' exports were also na turally influenced by commodity prices. In line 
with price developments, exports of agricultural raw materials and non-fuel minerals were up 35% and 24% respectively in 2011, then down 7% and 9%, respectively in 2012. Exports of other product categories generally increased in both years, though considerably less in 2012 than 2011. 
Comparing 2012 with 2010, developing economies ex ports of fuels increased by 45%, food and 
agricultural raw materials by about 25%, manufactures by 22% and non-fuel minerals by 12%. The product structure of developing economies' exports did not change drastically except for a 
three points increase in the share of fuels to 25%  at the expense of office and telecommunications 
equipment and also non-fuel minerals, due to  the sharp drop in metal prices in 2012. 
Chart 9: Product composition of developing economies' exports, 2010 and 2012 
(%) 
Food 7%Raw 
materials 
1%Fuels 22%Non-fuel 
minerals 
5%
Office and 
telecom 
equipment 
16%Transport 
equipment 
7%Other 
machinery 
9% 14%
15%62%2010
ManufacturesSemi-manufactures, 
incl. iron & steel and 
chemicals 
Other 
manufactures
Food 7%Raw 
materials 
1%Fuels 25%Non-fuel 
minerals 
4%
Office and 
telecom 
equipment 
14%Transport 
equipment 
7%Other 
machinery 
9% 14%
16%59%2012
ManufacturesSemi-manufactures, 
incl. iron & steel and 
chemicals 
Other 
manufactures
 
 
3.5  Developing economies' merchandise trade by region 
33.  With the exception of the Middle East's 49% export growth, all five developing regions 
registered overall similar increases in their ex ports and imports, around 25%-30%, between 2010 
and 2012. Regional trade developments still differe d considerably. Oil exporters contributed largely 
to lifting Latin America's and Middle East exports,  while the Arab spring events caused Africa's 
export volume to drop in 2011. More than others, developing European countries suffered WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 16 - 
 
  depressed demand from their developed neighbours . Although China and India's trade rose fast, a 
majority of developing Asian economies' exports increased less than world trade between 2010 and 2012.  
Table 6: Developing economies merchandise trade by regions and selected economies, 
2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 Exports Imports 
Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change 
2012 10 12 11 12 2012 10 12 11 12 
Developing economiesa 7835 41 44 23 4 7392 38 41 22 4 
Latin America 1120 6 6 25 1 1135 6 6 22 4 
Mexico 371 2 2 17 6 380 2 2 16 5 
Other Latin America 750 4 4 28 -1 755 4 4 26 3 
Developing Europe 188 1 1 19 9 300 2 2 27 -3 
Turkey 152 1 1 18 13 237 1 1 30 -2 
Africa 630 3 4 17 5 610 3 3 19 8 
North Africa 202 1 1 -2 23 209 1 1 10 13 
Sub-Saharan Africa 428 2 2 26 -2 401 2 2 24 5 
South Africa 87 1 0 21 -11 124 1 1 29 2 
Middle East 1349 6 8 40 6 740 4 4 17 9 
Developing Asiaa 4548 25 25 20 3 4607 24 25 23 4 
China  2049 11 11 20 8 1818 9 10 25 4 
NICs (6)a 1737 10 10 16 0 1754 10 10 19 2 
Other 762 4 4 27 0 1034 5 6 29 5 
Memorandum items           
Worlda 17930 100 100 20 0 18188 100 100 19 0 
Developed economies 9290 55 52 17 -3 10227 59 56 17 -2 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States 805 4 4 34 2 569 3 3 30 5 
LDCs (49) 206 1 1 25 1 224 1 1 23 8 
a Excluding Hong Kong, China re-exp orts or imports for re-exports. 
 
3.5.1  Latin America 
34.  The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Colombia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Ecuador 
increased the volume of their exports and benefitte d from the relatively strong increase in world 
energy prices between 2010 and 2012. As the valu e of their exports rose respectively by 48%, 
51%, 73% and 36%, they significantly contribute d to the 26% increase in the value of Latin 
America's exports, and to lifting the share of fuels in the region's exports from 20% to 22%. 
Beside these four oil and gas exporters, 23 out of 41 Latin American countries saw their exports rise faster than world trade, especially Panama whose free zone exports rose by more than 40%, 
and Guyana which increased significantly its exports of sugar, rice and gold. Aruba also registered 
a spectacular, yet short-lived, hike in its exports in 2011: its oil refinery re-opened after a long period of maintenance but closed definitively in end 2012.  
35.  Mexico's exports and imports increased by 24% and 23% respectively from 2010 to 2012, 
slightly less than the regional average, but faster than Brazil and Argentina whose exports and imports increased by about 20%. While Chile's imports increased by 34%, its exports suffered 
from the decline in copper prices and decreased by 5% in 2012 after rising by 15% in 2011. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 17 - 
 
  Table 7: Summary indicators on Lati n America merchandise trade, 2010-2012 
(% and number) 
 Exports Imports 
 2010-12a 2011 2012 2010-12a 2011 2012 
Trade value, % change 26 25 1 27 22 4 
Trade volume, % change 10 6 3 15 11 4 
Economies with value growth higher than 
world trade (number, total=41) 27 25 27 25 20 27 
Main traders (% change)       
Mexico 24 17 6 23 16 5 
Brazil 20 27 -5 22 24 -2 
Chile 10 15 -4 34 27 6 
Argentina 19 23 -4 21 31 -7 
Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. of 48 41 5 55 22 27 
Above 5, share in the region - 78 78 - 73 72 
Region trade by product (% change)       
Agricultural products 25 26 -1 28 25 2 
Fuels 41 38 2 57 51 4 
Other mining products 14 28 -11 25 34 -7 
Manufactures 22 16 5 26 20 5 
Product share in region's trade (%) 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
Agricultural products 21 21 20 9 9 9 
Fuels 20 22 22 14 17 17 
Other mining products 13 14 12 2 3 2 
Manufactures 43 40 42 72 69 69 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the differe nce between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes.  
36.  The geographical breakdown of Latin Americ a's exports did not change significantly in two 
years. Mexico increased its exports to North America by 20%, at a relatively slower pace than to 
other Latin American and developing Asian economies which rose by 35% and 68% respectively. Yet, the share of Mexico's exports to North Americ a in Latin America's total exports decreased only 
marginally from 28% to 27%. On the other hand the share of Latin America's intra-regional trade 
increased moderately, from 15% to 16%.  
Chart 10: Latin America merchandise exports by destination, 2010-2012 
(%) 
Other 5%15%Mexico to 
North 
America 
28%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 14%
Intra-
Latin 
America 
21%Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
5%
China 8%
other 
develo-
ping 4%39%2010
Other Latin 
America to 
North AmericaDeveloping 
economies
Other 5%16%Mexico to 
North 
America 
27%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 13%
Intra-
Latin 
America 
21%Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
6%
China 8%
other 
develo-
ping 4%40%2012
Other Latin 
America to 
North AmericaDeveloping 
economies
 
 
3.5.2  Developing Europe 
37.  Developing European countries suffered part icularly from the fall in demand from their 
developed neighbours, which still absorb about half their exports. Only Turkey and Albania saw 
their exports increase by more than 25% be tween 2010 and 2012, while those of Montenegro, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia increased by  less than 10% having declined by 25%, 12% 
and 8% respectively in 2012. On the import side, only Turkey registered faster than world trade 
growth between 2010 and 2012. 
38.  In 2012, Turkey recorded a considerable amount of gold exports to Iran and the United Arab 
Emirates. These related to the payment of fuel imports as international sanctions were 
implemented against Iran preventing the use of euro s, US dollars and of the modern bank transfer WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 18 - 
 
  system. This gold accounted for 8% of Turkey's  total exports and 6% of developing Europe's. 
Excluding Turkey's gold exports to Iran and the Un ited Arab Emirates, developing Europe's exports 
and imports would have increased 21% and 23% respectively between 2010 and 2012, just slightly faster than world trade. 
Table 8: Summary indicators on developi ng Europe merchandise trade, 2010-2012 
(% and number) 
 Exports Imports 
 2010-12a 2011 2012 2010-12a 2011 2012 
Trade value, % change 29 19 9 23 27 -3 
excl. Turkey's gold to Iran and UAE 21 19 2 23 27 -3 
Trade volume, % change 16 4 12 11 11 0 
excl. Turkey's gold to Iran and UAE 9 4 5 11 11 0 
Economies with value growth higher than 
world trade (number, total=8) 2 5 2 1 5 0 
Main traders (% change)       
Turkey 34 18 13 27 30 -2 
excl. gold exports to Iran and UAE 23 18 5 27 30 -2 
Croatia 5 13 -8 3 13 -9 
Serbia 16 20 -4 14 19 -4 
Above 3, share in the region - 93 94 - 92 92 
Region trade by product (% change)       
Agricultural products 24 19 4 22 26 -3 
Fuels 41 33 7 54 40 10 
Other mining products 16 19 -2 29 31 -1 
Manufactures 20 18 1 13 22 -7 
Product share in region's trade (%) 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
Agricultural products 12 12 12 9 9 9 
Fuels 5 6 6 18 20 23 
Other mining products 5 5 5 7 7 7 
Manufactures 74 74 69 65 63 60 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the difference between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes. 
 
39.  The Middle East's share as a destination of developing European exports rose from 15% to 
20% between 2010 and 2012, but would have remained stable around 15% if Turkey's gold had not been accounted for. Exports to the CIS in creased by 48% from 2010 to 2012 and their share 
as a destination of developing Europe's exports rose from 8% to 10%, at the expense of crisis-
stricken developed European countries. 
Chart 11: Developing Europe merchand ise exports by destination, 2010-2012 
(%) 
Other 6%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 45%CIS 10%
Intra-
develo-
ping 
Europe 
6%Africa 7%Other 
develo-
ping 6%Turkey 
gold to 
Iran and 
UAE 6%
Other 
Middle 
East 14%40%2012
Developing 
economies
Other 6%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 52%CIS 8%
Intra-
develo-
ping 
Europe 
7%Africa 7%Other 
develo-
ping 6%
15%34%2010
Developing 
economiesMiddle 
East
 
 
3.5.3  Africa 
40.  The civil war in Libya caused the volume of  Africa's exports to drop by 8% in 2011, then 
increase by 7% in 2012 as the country's oil production resumed. Between 2010 and 2012, the 
value of Africa's exports rose by 23%, faster th an world trade but less than the 28% increase in 
the region's imports. Most African oil and gas ex porters benefitted from the high prices and saw 
the value of their exports increase faster than world trade, especially Equatorial Guinea and WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 19 - 
 
  Angola. The most notable exception was Sudan an d South Sudan whose exports fell due to the 
tensions that followed the latter's secession.  
41.  The region's main traders registered relatively dull export performances between 2010 and 
2012. South Africa's exports rose by 21% in 2011 but fell by 11% in US dollar terms the following 
year due to the 13% depreciation of the rand against the US dollar, and the fall in demand from 
Europe. Following the Arab spring  events, Egypt and Tunisia registered poor export performances. 
Morocco's exports increased more than those of other North African countries, by 21% between 
2010 and 2012. Overall, exactly half of the 54 African countries saw their exports rise faster than 
world trade, including six oil exporters. Eritrea, Sierra Leone and Liberia registered particularly spectacular increases in their exports following the exploitation of new mineral resources.  
Table 9: Summary indicators on Africa merchandise trade, 2010-2012 
(% and number) 
 Exports Imports 
 2010-12a 2011 2012 2010-12a 2011 2012 
Trade value, % change 23 17 5 28 19 8 
Trade volume, % change -2 -8 7 18 5 12 
Economies with value growth higher than 
world trade (number, total=54) 27 31 25 36 29 40 
Main traders (% change)       
Oil and gas exporters (8)b 30 14 14 21 10 10 
South Africa 8 21 -11 32 29 2 
Egypt 11 19 -7 31 18 11 
Morocco 21 22 -1 27 25 1 
Tunisia 4 9 -5 10 8 2 
Above 12, share in the region - 80 81 - 72 71 
Region trade by product (% change)       
Agricultural products 15 17 -1 36 33 2 
Fuels 31 18 11 51 35 12 
Other mining products 17 24 -6 20 26 -5 
Manufactures 11 13 -2 21 13 7 
Product share in region's trade (%) 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
Agricultural products 10 10 9 15 17 16 
Fuels 57 58 61 14 15 16 
Other mining products 9 10 9 3 3 2 
Manufactures 18 18 16 65 61 62 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the diffe rence between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes. 
b Algeria, Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guin ea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan. 
 
42.  The United States cut the volume of its cr ude oil imports from Africa by 47% between 2010 
and 2012, which caused an 18% drop in the valu e of Africa's exports to North America. The 
region's share in Africa's exports consequently fell from 17% to 12% and that of all other regions 
increased as the excess oil production left by the United States was dispatched to other 
destinations.  
Chart 12: Africa merchandise ex ports by destination, 2010-2012 
(%) 
Other 6%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 36%North 
America 
(excl. 
Mexico) 
17%
Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
10%China 
11%Other 
develo-
ping 8%
Intra-
Africa 
13%41%2010
Developing 
economies
Other 8%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 37%North 
America 
(excl. 
Mexico) 
12%
Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
11%China 
11%Other 
develo-
ping 9%
Intra-
Africa 
13%43%2012
Developing 
economies
 
 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 20 - 
 
  3.5.4  Middle East 
43.  Along with North Africa, most Middle Eastern countries were affected by the Arab spring wave 
of protests that started in early 2011. Civil unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic caused exports and 
imports to drop in 2012 to about a third of their 2010 level, and severely curtailed neighbouring 
Lebanon's economic and trade performances. The Arab  spring events also particularly affected the 
economies of Yemen and Jordan, whose exports gr ew by only 2% and 12% respectively between 
2010 and 2012. Israel's exports rose by 16% in 2011 but fell by 7% the following year. Iran's 
exports and imports also fell dramatically in 2012 owing to the embargo imposed on its exports.  
44.  Despite the very poor export performances registered by six of the region's 13 countries, its 
total exports increased by a spectacular 40% in  2011 and a remarkable 6% in 2012 as major oil 
exporters increased considerably their level of production and made up for the successive drops in 
Libya's and Iran's exports. The Kingdom of Saud i Arabia's exports increased by 55% from 2010 to 
2012, Kuwait's rose by 69% and exports of Qatar and Iraq soared by almost 80%. 
Table 10: Summary indicators on Middl e East merchandise trade, 2010-2012 
(% and number) 
 Exports Imports 
 2010-12a 2011 2012 2010-12a 2011 2012 
Trade value, % change 49 40 6 27 17 9 
Trade volume, % change 13 8 5 16 5 11 
Economies with value growth higher than 
world trade (number, total=13) 7 9 7 8 6 10 
Main traders (% change)       
United Arab Emirates 64 41 16 39 23 13 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of 55 45 6 46 23 18 
Iran 3 30 -21 -13 -6 -8 
Qatar 78 53 16 47 29 14 
Israel 8 16 -7 23 24 -1 
Above 5, share in the region - 77 77 - 74 75 
Region trade by product (% change)       
Agricultural products 11 15 -4 27 22 4 
Fuels 54 46 6 40 24 13 
Other mining products 51 34 12 31 36 -4 
Manufactures 30 28 2 24 17 6 
Product share in region's trade (%) 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
Agricultural products 3 2 2 13 13 13 
Fuels 64 67 66 8 9 9 
Other mining products 2 2 2 2 3 2 
Manufactures 22 21 20 73 72 71 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the difference between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes. 
 
45.  The Middle East was also the only region from which the United States increased the volume 
of its crude oil imports, by 25% between 20 10 and 2012. The share of North America as a 
destination of the region's exports gained on e percentage point to reach 9%. The share of 
developing economies in Middle East exports we nt up from 55% to 56%. The share of intra-
regional trade decreased to 9% in favour  of developing Asia, from 40% to 42%. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 21 - 
 
  Chart 13: Middle East merchandise exports by destination, 2010-2012 
(%) 
Other 
13%11%Develo-
ped Asia 
13%8%
China 9%Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
31%
M. East 
10%
other 
develo-
ping 5%55%2010
Developing 
economiesNorth America 
(excl. Mexico)
Europe 
(develo-ped)
Other 
14%10%Develo-
ped Asia 
12%9%
China 
10%Other 
develo-
ping Asia 
32%
M. East 
9%
other 
develo-
ping 5%56%2012
Developing 
economiesNorth America 
(excl. Mexico)
Europe 
(dv'd)
 
 
3.5.5  Developing Asia 
46.  Both Chinese and Indian economies decelerated in 2012 but continued outpacing most other 
economies. From 2010 to 2012, their strong export and import growth significantly contributed to 
lifting the region's exports and imports, by resp ectively 24% and 28% in value terms and by 12% 
and 11% in volume terms. Vietnam's exports of office and telecommunication equipment tripled between 2010 and 2012 to reach US$ 18 Bn. While this remains a negligible amount compared to 
developing Asia's US$ 1080 billion, it significantly contributed to raising Vietnam's total exports by 
a remarkable 59%. Thanks to its apparel sector, Cambodia's exports also soared, by approximately 50%, while Bangladesh's increased by 31%. Mongolia and the Solomon Islands 
registered spectacular export growth thanks to positive developments in their mining sectors. 
Indonesia's exports dropped by 6% in 2012 but it s imports rose by 41% between 2010 and 2012.  
47.  Like Indonesia, 26 out of 45 developing Asia n economies saw their exports grow slower than 
world trade between 2010 and 2012. Exports virtuall y stagnated, or even declined, for about ten 
of them, including the Philippines where they fell by 6% in 2011 then picked up by 8% in 2012. 
Nine developing Asian economies, including five of the NICs6, increased their exports between 10% and 20%. Overall, the NICs6 continued suffering the decline of their office and 
telecommunication exporting sector but registered relatively strong exports of other manufactured 
products, especially chemicals. Chinese Taipei 's export and import growths were however 
particularly slow, rising by 10% and 8% respectively between 2010 and 2012. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 22 - 
 
  Table 11: Summary indicators on develo ping Asia merchandise trade, 2010-2012 
(% and number) 
 Exports Imports 
 2010-12a 2011 2012 2010-12a 2011 2012 
Trade value, % change 24 20 3 28 23 4 
Trade volume, % change 12 8 3 11 7 4 
Economies with value growth higher than 
world trade (number, total=45) 19 18 21 30 26 29 
Main traders (% change)       
China 30 20 8 30 25 4 
NICs (6) 16 16 0 21 19 2 
India 30 34 -3 40 33 5 
Indonesia 19 27 -6 41 30 8 
Viet Nam 59 34 18 34 26 7 
Above 10, share in the region - 96 96 - 95 95 
Region trade by product (% change)       
Agricultural products 32 33 -1 34 30 3 
Fuels 43 41 2 53 39 10 
Other mining products 1 17 -14 16 28 -9 
Manufactures 22 17 4 17 15 2 
Product share in region's trade (%) 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
Agricultural products 6 7 7 8 9 9 
Fuels 8 9 9 19 21 23 
Other mining products 2 2 2 7 8 7 
Manufactures 82 80 81 63 60 59 
a 2010-12: statistics on % change refer to the diffe rence between 2010 and 2012 in % terms rather than the 
average annual % change. Data in the 2011 and 2012 columns refer to annual % changes. Note:  Hong Kong re-exports and im ports for re-exports are excluded. 
 
48.  The share of developing economies as a destination of developing Asian exports gained two 
percentage points and reached 54% in 2012. As discussed in the section on South-South trade, 
intra-developing Asia trade increased slower than exports to and imports from developing economies outside Asia, but remained prominen t and represented 40% of the region's total 
exports in 2012. Its structure changed significantly however as the share of office and 
telecommunications in intra-regional trade flows dropped from 27% to 24%, while that of other 
manufactures and primary commodities increased respectively from 49% to 50% and from 23% to 24%. 
Chart 14: Developing Asia merchand ise exports by destination, 2010-2012 
(%) 
Other 3%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 18%Develo-
ped Asia 
11%N. 
America 
(excl. 
Mexico) 
17%
M. East 
5%Latin 
America 
4%Other 4%manu-
factures 
29%
commo-
dities 9%52%2010
Developing 
economiesintra-developing 
Asia 39%,
of which
Other 3%Europe 
(develo-
ped) 16%Develo-
ped Asia 
11%N. 
America 
(excl. 
Mexico) 
16%
M. East 
5%Latin 
America 
5%Other 4%manu-
factures 
30%
commo-
dities 
10%54%2012
Developing 
economiesintra-developing 
Asia 40%,
of which
 
 
4  TRADE IN COMMERCIAL SERVICES 2010-2012 
49.  According to the statistics jointly compiled by WTO and the United Nations Conference on 
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), developing econom ies' exports of commercial services grew by 
10% on average per year between 2010 and 2012, reaching US$1372 billion in 2012. Imports were slightly more dynamic, expanding by 11% to US$1567 billion.  
50.  Developing economies' participation in world trade in commercial services continued to rise 
steadily. It increased from 29.7% in 2010, to 31.5% in 2012, in the case of exports, and from WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 23 - 
 
  35.3% to 37.7% for imports. The increase was mainly due to developing Asia. The region raised 
its share in world exports of commercial services  from 19.9% in 2010 to 21.4% in 2012. China, 
the Republic of Korea, Macao, China, and Thailand were among the main contributors. Developing Asia's share in world imports of commercial services expanded even more rapidly, from 20.7% in 
2010 to 22.4% in 2012, largely due to China's booming services imports.  
Table 12: Developing economies trade in comm ercial services by regions and selected 
economies, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 Exports Imports 
 Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change Value Share in 
world Annual % 
change 
 2012 10 12 11 12 2012 10 12 11 12 
Developing economies  1372 30 32 13 7 1567 35 38 15 7 
Latin America 156 3 4 17 4 209 5 5 22 6 
Brazil 38 1 1 20 5 78 2 2 22 7 
Developing Europe 64 1 1 12 3 30 1 1 8 -4 
Turkey 42 1 1 11 9 19 1 0 7 -3 
Africa 91 2 2 0 6 159 4 4 12 1 
Egypt 21 1 0 -19 12 15 0 0 1 18 
Middle East 129 3 3 11 13 237 5 6 14 6 
Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of 11 0 0 7 -5 50 1 1 8 -9 
Israel 30 1 1 10 11 20 0 0 9 6 
Developing Asia  931 20 21 14 8 931 21 22 15 8 
China 190 4 4 9 8 280 5 7 23 18 
India 141 3 3 11 3 127 3 3 6 3 
Memorandum items           
World  4350 100 100 11 2 4152 100 100 12 3 
Developed economies 2873 68 66 11 0 2434 62 59 10 0 
Commonwealth of Independent States 105 2 2 20 9 152 3 4 18 18 
LDCs (49) 27 1 1 18 6 72 2 2 23 7 
 
51.  On the export side, developing economies' other commercial services recorded the fastest 
average annual increase (12%), followed by trav el (10%) and by transport (7%). On imports, 
transport and travel grew equally by 12% on average per year, and other commercial services 
followed with 11%. 
Chart 15: Developing economies' trade in  commercial services by main category, 
2010-2012 
(Billion US$) 
Transport Travel Other  commercial
servicesExports
2010 2011 20120100200300400500600700
Transport Travel Other  commercial
servicesImports
 
 
52.  In 2012, the structure of developing economies' exports remained almost unchanged 
compared to 2010. Travel accounted for over on e third of the group's exports of commercial 
services. Developing economies are net exporters of  travel, with a growing surplus over the last 
two decades, reflecting the economic importance of this sector for the group. Transport formed WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 24 - 
 
  22.6% of developing economies' exports. Both these shares are substantially higher than in 
developed economies (respectively 21.7% for travel and 18.9% for transport).  
53.  "Other business services" formed almost one qu arter of total exports. This category includes 
different types of services, such as merchantin g and other trade-related services, operational 
leasing services as well as business, professional and technical services. Computer and information 
services (largely computer services) represented 6.6% of developing economies' exports, while 
financial services stood at 3.9%. Both services categories were on the rise compared to 2010. 
Exports of construction accounted for 3.4% of the total.  
4.1  Transport 54.  Between 2010 and 2012, developing economies'  transportation services exports rose by 7% 
on annual average, reaching US$310 billion in 2012. Growth was robust on the import side (12%). 
In 2012, developing economies accounted for 34.7% of global transport exports and, for the first 
time, overtook, as a group, the developed econom ies as the largest importers of transportation 
services (50.2% of world imports).  
55.  Middle Eastern countries were the most dynamic transport traders with an annual average 
growth of 18% for exports and 21% for imports. This was due, in particular, to Kuwait's and Qatar's fast growth. In 2012, the United Arab Emirates became the 6th global transport importer 
up from the 8
th position in 2010. The economy is the leading transport importer in the Middle East 
with a share above 43% in 2012, and a very  rapid average annual growth (36%).  
56.  Most of the developing economies' transport trade originates from developing Asia. In 2012, 
the region accounted alone for 23% of world tran sport exports and 28% of imports. Both shares 
were on an upward trend compared to 2010.  
57.  Nevertheless, in the period 2010-2012, developing Asia's transportation services exports 
recorded the slowest growth among the developi ng group (5%). Exports from the Republic of 
Korea the second largest exporter in the region expanded only by 2%, due to a decline in sea 
transport receipts. By comparison, China's exports grew faster (7%).  
58.  Developing Asia's transport imports incr eased by 11% on annual average. In 2012, India 
became the 4th global transport importer up from the 5th place in 2010. Apart from leading 
transport traders, growth was sustained in other developing Asian economies. In Indonesia, Sri 
Lanka and Cambodia, average growth was close to or  above 20% on both export and import sides. 
Chart 16: Developing economies' trade in tr ansportation services by region, 2010-2012 
and 2012 
(Annual % change) 
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25Exports
2010-2012
2012
-5 0 5 10 15 20 25Developed economiesDeveloping AsiaMiddle EastAfricaDeveloping EuropeLatin AmericaDeveloping economies
of which:Imports
 
 
59.  Africa's exports of transportation services rose by 7% over the period. Exports declined in 
Egypt, which alone accounts for one third of the re gion's transport exports. In comparison, exports WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 25 - 
 
  picked up in several Sub-Saharan African countries . For example, Ethiopia's transports receipts 
were up by 22% on average per year, reflecting sw ift growth of the air transport sector. In Kenya 
the increase was by 16%.  
60.  The most rapid 2012 export growth was recorded by developing Europe (16%) due to 
Turkey's thriving air transport sector. The econom y accounted for 80% of the region's exports. By 
contrast, developing Europe saw the slowest gr owth of transportation services payments.  
61.  Latin America was the only developing region to record negative exports growth in 2012. 
Dropping exports of transportation services, in particular to China and the United States, affected 
Chile's performance (-12%), the largest transport ex porter in the region. Exports declined also in 
Brazil (-7%), Colombia (-6%) and Mexico (-12%). In comparison, exports grew rapidly in smaller Central American economies, where Panama and Cost a Rica recorded double digit growth. Brazil's 
and Argentina's strong import growth boosted the region's imports, which increased by 10% on 
annual average. As in the case of exports, import s of transportation services by Latin American 
countries slowed considerably in 2012.  
4.2  Travel 
62.  In the period 2010-2012, developing economie s' travel exports increased by 10% on annual 
average, peaking at US$463 billion in 2012, a result  of rising inflows of international tourists.
10 
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of international 
tourist arrivals to developing economies rose to 455 million in 2012 up from 419 million in 2010.11 
63.  Travel receipts represent an important source of revenue for developing economies. Money 
spent by international travellers enters directly the tourism value chain affecting industries such as 
accommodation, food and beverages, transport, retail, recreation and cultural activities, etc. 
Tourism benefits indirectly the domestic economy contributing to the development of other sectors 
such as agriculture (e.g., food supply to hote l establishments), construction, communications, 
utilities (e.g., supply of electricity and water to hotels), and conference and events management.  
Chart 17: Developing economies' travel expo rts and international tourist arrivals by 
region, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and million) 
Developing
economiesLatin
AmericaDeveloping
EuropeAfrica Middle East Developing
AsiaTravel exports (billion US$)
2010 2011 2012
050100150200250300350400450500
Developing
economiesLatin
AmericaDeveloping
EuropeAfrica Middle East Developing
AsiaInternational tourist arrivals (million)
 
Source:  WTO-UNCTAD estimates and WTO a ggregations on the basis of UNWTO data. 
 
64.  Developing economies' travel expendit ure reached US$381 billion in 2012, growing by 12% 
on average per year between 2010 and 2012. Overal l, compared to 2010, the developing group 
gained nearly two percentage points in share in world travel exports and almost three points in 
world travel imports.  
                                               
10 In Balance of Payments Statistics, "travel" covers all goods and services acquired by international 
travellers in the host economy, for their own use or to  give away, such as accommodation, food, souvenirs, 
visits to museums, local transportation, etc. It excludes transportation to the host country. 
11 Aggregates for the developing economies and for the developing regions were compiled by the WTO 
Secretariat on the basis of UNWTO data (UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2013). WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 26 - 
 
  65.  Performance differed widely across developing regions. Developing Asia recorded the fastest 
average growth in travel exports (16% on aver age per year). The region attracted the largest 
share of international tourists to developing economies (around 48% in 2012). Between 2010 and 2012, travel receipts expanded very rapidly in  several economies such as Sri Lanka (34%), 
Thailand (29%), Macao, China (26%), the Ph ilippines, and Cambodia (both by 24%). In 
comparison China's travel receipts increased only by 4% recording one of the slowest average period growth rates in developing Asia. This was mainly due to stagnating international tourist 
arrivals in 2012.  
66.  Developing Asia's participation in world tourism is on the rise not only as supplier but also as 
consumer. Travel expenditure grew much faster in  the region than elsewhere in the developing 
group (19% on average per year). High travel expenditure growth rates were found, for example, 
in the Philippines (35%), Pakistan (24%) and Mala ysia (18%). Boosted, in particular, by higher 
disposable income, China's payments for internat ional travel rose by 36%. In 2012, following a 
41% rise, China became the world's leading travel spender, overtaking Germany and the United 
States.  
67.  In Latin America, travel receipts rose by  6% on annual average. In Mexico, the largest 
touristic destination in the region, exports rose by 3%. In the Caribbean, which overall accounts 
for more than a quarter of the region's travel receipts, exports were up only by 4% reflecting a 
drop in the number of international tourist arrivals in several economies. The region's travel expenditure increased by 13% over the period. This was largely due to Brazil's payments for international travel which rose by 16% on annual average. In 2012, Brazil formed around 43% of 
Latin America's total travel expenditure.   
68.  Between 2010 and 2012, travel exports rose by 4% on average per year in the Middle East. 
International tourism increased in many economie s of the region. Travel exports' growth was 
sustained in the United Arab Emirates, the main exporter, and Oman. By contrast, travel exports 
declined by 12% in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following a contraction in international tourist arrivals. In 2010-2012, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's travel expenditure abroad declined too. The 
economy is the top travel spender in the region. Travel imports fell also in the United Arab 
Emirates (-14%) and Jordan (-15%). Overall, travel imports in Middle Eastern countries contracted by 1% on annual average. 
69.  The drop in international travellers to destinations in Northern Africa following the Arab spring 
resulted in an overall stagnation of Africa's travel  exports in the period 2010-2012. Travel receipts 
dropped by 30% in Egypt and by 28% in Tunisia in 2011. On the contrary, travel receipts soared in several Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2012, Africa's travel exports recovered as tourism in 
Northern Africa rebounded. Between 2010 and 2012 Africa's growth was sluggish also on the 
import side, due to declining travel expenditure in 2012 in Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco.  
70.  With the exception of Turkey which recorded a 3% rise, all other economies in developing 
Europe saw a decline in travel exports in 2012. Desp ite increasing inflows of international tourists, 
e x p o r t s  c o n t r a c t e d  b y  4 %  i n  C r o a t i a ,  b y  1 0 %  i n  A l b a n i a ,  a n d  b y  9 %  i n  S e r b i a .  A n  e v e n  m o r e  pronounced downward trend was observed for travel imports. In 2012, developing Europe's payments for travel abroad dropped by 14%. In Bosnia and Herzegovina the decline was by 20%, 
in Albania by 18%, and in Turkey by 16%.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 27 - 
 
  Chart 18: Developing economies' travel  exports and imports by region, 2012 and 
2010-2012 
(Annual % change) 
0 5 10 15 20Exports
2010-2012
2012
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20Developed economiesDeveloping AsiaMiddle EastAfricaDeveloping EuropeLatin AmericaDeveloping economies
of which:Imports
 
 
4.3  Other commercial services 
71.  In the period 2010-2012, developing economies' exports of "other commercial services" rose 
by 12% on average per year increasing to US$598 billion.12 Over the years, developing economies 
have gradually gained importance as suppliers of "other commercial services", although developed 
economies largely remain the main exporters. In 2012, more than a quarter of world exports of 
"other commercial services" originated from de veloping economies, up from 23% in 2010.  
72.  With a robust 17% growth on both exports and imports, Latin America was the fastest 
growing region boosted by Brazil's trade performa nce. However, The Middle East recorded an 
outstanding 20% exports growth in 2012 supported  by Israel's rapidly expanding exports.  
73.  Developing economies' participation in trade in other commercial services was more 
pronounced on the import side. In 2012, developing economies' payments for other commercial 
services reached US$607 billion, accounting for some 31% of global imports, two percentage points more than in 2010. According to Secret ariat estimates, between 2010 and 2012, Africa 
imported increasing amounts of other commercial services. Imports by the region grew at the 
same pace as in developing Asia (10%). 
                                               
12 The aggregate "other commercial services" covers  communications services, construction, insurance 
services, financial services, computer and information services, royalties and licence fees, other business services and personal, cultural  and recreational services. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 28 - 
 
  Chart 19: Developing economies' exports and imports of other commercial services by 
region, 2012 and 2010-2012 
(Annual % change) 
-5 0 5 10 15 20Exports
2010-2012
2012
-5 0 5 10 15 20Developed economiesDeveloping AsiaMiddle EastAfricaDeveloping EuropeLatin AmericaDeveloping economies
of which:Imports
 
 
74.  Developing economies' exports period growth was robust in several sub-sectors of other 
commercial services such as personal, cultural and recreational services (16%), other business services (15%), computer and information services, royalties and licence fees (13%), and construction (12%). Increases in exports of insurance services, financial services and 
communications services were more modest.
13 
75.  In general, developing economies' contribution as exporters of other commercial services 
continues to be limited in each sub-sector to a few key players, often in developing Asia, although 
participation is slowly enlarging to other economies. Poor infrastructure, limited skills and lack of 
financial resources, continue to hinder, in particular, Africa's participation in higher segments of other commercial services trade.  
76.  Developing economies' share in world construction exports has risen steadily over recent 
years. In 2012, the developing group formed 42.7%  of world construction exports up from 38% in 
2010. The Republic of Korea and China, respec tively the second and third leading global 
constructors, together accounted for 30% of world construction exports on a Balance of Payment 
(BOP) basis. Construction exports by the Republ ic of Korea grew by 42% in 2012 to almost 
US$22 billion. On the contrary, in the same year, China's exports fell by 17%. Other economies in 
the developing group are emerging as constructi on exporters, such as Singapore, Turkey, and 
Israel.   
77.  Developing economies' input to world exports of computer and information services is 
important. In 2012, the developing group's share reached 34.3% (32.2% in 2010), of which 27% 
originated from developing Asia and 4.4% from the Middle East. With an 18% share in world 
exports, India remained the largest developing exporter and the second global supplier of computer services. In the period 2010-2012, exports of computer services boomed in China and in 
Israel, respectively the second and the third lead ing exporters in the developing group. In 2012, 
both economies' exports grew by 19%, increasing their contribution to world exports. Although at 
a much smaller scale, IT services exports expanded also in other developing regions. In Latin America, Brazil's exports grew by 69% on  annual average and in Costa Rica by 23%. In 
Africa, Mauritius' exports expanded by 47%.  
                                               
13 Data quality issues continue to affect imports st atistics of "other commercial services". Thus, at 
present, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of im ports of other commercial se rvices by subsector and by 
geographical region/economic grouping. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 29 - 
 
  Chart 20: Developing economies' exports of  other commercial services by subsector, 
2010-2012 and 2012 
(Annual % change) 
-5051015202010-2012 2012
 
 
78.  In 2012, developing economies contributed to 30% of global exports of other business services up from 26.5% in 2010.
14 Developing Asian economies continued to play the main role 
(23%), with China and India's exports alone accounting for 10% of world exports of other business 
services. Exports by the two economies were up by 13% in the period 2010-2012. Growth was even stronger in other economies of the region such as Indonesia (34%), Malaysia (26%), the 
Republic of Korea (17%) and the Philippines (15%). 
79.  In several developing Asian economies, ot her business services exports are made up by 
merchanting and other trade related services. For example, in 2011, the share of these services 
ranged from some 42% in the Republic of Korea, 44% in China, peaking at 83% in Hong Kong, 
China. On the contrary, in India and in the Philippi nes, the bulk of exports are formed by business, 
professional and technical services, often provided to foreign clients on an outsourcing basis. 
80.  A quarter of world exports of communications services came from the developing group in 
2012. The Middle East hosted the main communica tions services exporter among developing 
economies. With some US$3.5 billion worth of ex ports, Kuwait ranked also as the third leading 
communications services exporter. Africa's contribution to world exports of other commercial 
services saw its highest share in communications services (3.9%).  
81.  Only 20% of insurance services and around 18% of financial services exported to the world 
originated from developing economies. In insurance services, China, Singapore and Mexico ranked as the main exporters from the developing grou p. Between 2010 and 2012, China's exports rose 
by 39% on an annual average and Mexico's by 10%.  Half of Latin America's exports of insurance 
services came from Mexico.  
82.  Across developing economies, financial serv ices are predominantly exported by developing 
Asia, which holds a share in world exports of 14%. The region concentrates several leading 
exporters. In 2012, developing Asia's exports of financial services stagnated following turmoil on global financial markets. In India, exports droppe d by 11%. In the Republic of Korea, the decline 
was by 6% while in Hong Kong, China exports contracted by 1%. Singapore's exports stagnated.  
83.  Developing economies' exports of personal, cultural and recreational services significantly 
reflect developments in the Republic of Korea and in Turkey, which together form one third of the developing group's exports. In the Republic of Ko rea, exports grew by 40% over the period, and in 
Turkey by 16%.   
                                               
14 The aggregate "other business services" includ es merchanting and other trade-related services, 
operational leasing services as well as business, professional and technical services. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 30 - 
 
  84.  Developing economies' overall contribution to world receipts of royalties and licence fees 
remained marginal. In 2012, their share was at only 4%, albeit on the rise compared to 2010. The Republic of Korea remained the main recipient, wi th a share of 1.2%, followed, at a distance, by 
Singapore and Israel. In 2012 developing economies' receipts declined following a 21% drop in the 
Republic of Korea.   
4.4  Direction of services trade 85.  At present, very few countries compile bilate ral statistics on trade in services, and most of 
them are developed countries. Thus, to analyse the di rection of trade in commercial services of the 
developing economies, it is often necessary to use mirror statistics of developed countries.  
86.  According to the preliminary results of a service matrix developed jointly by WTO and OECD
15 
built using both "hard" data as well as mirror data, the share in world trade of exports from 
developing to developed economies remained relatively stable over the years, slightly under 20%. 
Developed countries account for the largest part of developing economies' exports but South-South trade in services has been increasing faster. In 2000, only 16.5% of developing economies' 
total exports of services were to other developing economies, while in 2005, this share had already 
risen to 24%, to peak at more than one third in 2010. 
Chart 21: Developing economies' share of wo rld exports by partne r economic grouping 
and region, 2000-2005-2010 
(%) 
05101520253035
2000 2005 2010Africa America Asia and
OceaniaEurope2000 2005 2010
Developedeconomies Developingeconomies CIS
 
Source: OECD-WTO (2012) 
 
87.  This would suggest that the increased particip ation of the developing group in world services 
exports is predominantly due to newly created South-South trade flows. According to the matrix, 
in 2010, 63% of China's services exports were destined to other developing economies, compared to 39% in 2005. In the case of the Republic of Korea the share of exports to the developing group 
was estimated at 52% for 2010, at 49.6% for Hong Kong, China and at 46% for Singapore. Also 
for these economies, the share of services export s to the developing group has grown since 2005. 
88.  From a geographical perspective, the bulk of developing economies' exports was destined to 
Asia and Oceania as well as to Europe. By contrast, over the decade, African countries accounted 
only for negligible portion of developing economies' exports (0.1% in 2010). 
89.  Finally, the matrix revealed that, in 2010, 42%  of transportation services exported by the 
developing group, some 40% of travel exports, and 35% of other services exports were destined 
to other developing economies.  
                                               
15 OECD-WTO: "Estimated patterns of worldwide trade in services flows", 2012. 
STD/TBS/WPTGS(2012)33. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 31 - 
 
  4.5  Modes of supply 
90.  Ideally, each BOP services transaction should be allocated to each individual mode of service 
supply as defined in the GATS. However, data compilers may not be able to make this allocation in the short term. Compiling services statistics by GATS modes of supply requires designing specific 
surveys destined primarily to firms engaged in serv ices transactions. This exercise can be costly 
both in terms of human and financial resources especially for developing economies. At present, only a few developing economies have started to explore this issue, often focusing only on key 
export sectors (i.e., IT-enabled services, banking services, etc.).  
91.  The Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services proposes a simplified approach on 
the allocation of services domains to GATS modes of supply. This approach should be considered 
as a first step in the estimation process. According to the simplified approach, BOP services 
transactions will be allocated to the predominant mode(s) of supply, while the indicator "sales" in 
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) will be assi gned only to GATS mode 3 (commercial presence).
16 
Unfortunately, only a handful of developing econom ies compile FATS, thus, at present, it is not 
possible to provide an estimate of developing economies' exports through mode 3. The chart below 
is built only on the basis of BOP trade in services statistics.  
Chart 22: Developing economies- estimated ex ports of commercial services by mode of 
supply (BOP basis), 2011 
(%) 
Mode 1
38%
Mode 1 
+ 4
21%Mode 2
37%Mode 3 
+ 4
4%
 
Note: This chart excludes FATS sales (Mode 3). 
Source: WTO estimates  
92.  According to the results of the simplified approach for 2011, mode 1 (cross-border supply) 
and mode 2 (consumption abroad) play an equally important role, accounting for 37-38% of developing economies' total commercial services exports.
17 This is due to the importance of travel 
exports and of supporting and auxiliary transport services (such as loading and unloading of 
containers in ports and airports, storage and warehousing, etc.) which are supplied on a consumption abroad basis. Mode 1 exports include transport services (excluding supporting, 
auxiliary transport, and other transport services for available economies), communications 
services, insurance services, financial services, and royalties and licence fees.  
93.  Exports through modes 1 and 4 (cross-border supply and presence of natural persons) 
combined made up an estimated 21% of total develo ping economies' exports. This category covers 
computer and information services, other business services (excl. merchanting and other trade 
                                               
16 FATS are a new statistical domain which aims at measuring the activiti es of foreign-controlled foreign 
affiliates established worldwide. FATS define control as majority ownership,  i.e. more than 50% of the voting 
power at each stage of the chain of ownership. FATS cover a broad range of business variables including sales 
(turnover) and/or output, employment, value added, expo rts and imports of goods and services and number of 
enterprises. From the perspective of the GATS "sales" (turnover) is the most important variable. It measures 
foreign affiliates' gross operating revenu es, less rebates, discounts and returns. 
17 The year 2011 was chosen due to higher data availability. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 32 - 
 
  related services, as well as operational leasing services, as available), personal, cultural and 
recreational services, which are services for which a dominant mode of supply cannot be determined. Modes 3 + 4 cover only construction in BOP statistics, and represented 4% in developing economies' commercial services exports in 2011. 
94.  The structure of exports by mode of supply va ries considerably across the developing regions. 
For example, for developing Europe and Africa, the share of mode 2 is by comparison much higher 
(64% and 56%) due to the magnitude of travel expo rts. Mode 2 contributes to 31% in the case of 
developing Asia where, with 38%, mode 1 is the predominant mode of export supply.  
95.  The largest share of modes 1 and 4 combined (27%) was found in developing Asia and in 
Latin America due to the importance, in particular, of sectors such as computer services, professional, technical, and business services, as well as personal, cultural and recreational 
services. In contrast, this mode of service supply accounted for only 8% and 11% in Africa and 
developing Europe.  
96.  Modes 3 + 4 formed 4% of developing Asia's exports of commercial services, a much higher 
share than in other developing regions due to the presence of two top global constructors in the 
region.  
5  THE IMPORTANCE OF GVCS FOR DEVELOPING ECONOMIES EVIDENCED THROUGH THE 
TRADE IN VALUE ADDED APPROACH 
97.  A (global) value chain represents the sequence  of activities that firms undertake to create 
value, including the various production steps (supply chain), but also activities such as marketing, sales and customer services (demand chain). A large part of the products consumed nowadays all 
over the world is produced within international GVCs, where intermediate goods and services 
circulate among economies and companies specialized in specific steps of the production process. 
The growing importance of GVCs is evidenced by the marked increase of world trade in 
intermediate goods, the significant growth of intra-multinational firm transactions as well as the 
expansion of processing trade in developing economies. 
98.  Measuring the true impact of trade related to GVCs calls for new ways of measuring and 
analysing trade. While conventional trade statistics essentially record goods at their full value each 
time they cross a border, the measurement of tr ade in value added terms seeks to break down 
gross exports into their domestic and foreign value-added content. Thus, this approach aims to circumvent biases faced by conventional trade statistics (e.g. double-counting of trade in 
intermediates, difficulty of specifying the geographical origin of a good produced within GVCs), to 
better evaluate the actual contribution of foreign trade to an economy, to take into account the interconnection of national economies within production chains and also to better assess the 
impact of the services sector on trade. For de veloping economies, the value-added approach can 
provide insights on the degree of their participation in GVCs, and may reveal new comparative advantages and strengths through the breakdown of value added exports by partner and sector. 
99.  OECD and WTO jointly released in January 2013 the first interactive database fully dedicated 
to trade in value added. The OECD-WTO "TiVA" database provides free access to "Trade in value added" indicators for some 57 economies, among which are 20 developing ones.
18 TiVA 
distinguishes 18 sectors covering both goods and se rvices and covers 5 years, with two historical 
benchmarks for 1995 and 2000. At present, the latest estimates are available for 2009. The TiVA 
database can be accessed through the OECD website (see http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx? 
DataSetCode=TIVA_OECD_WTO ) and the WTO "Made in the world" initiative (MIWI) website (see 
http://www.wto.org/miwi ).19  
                                               
18 The 20 developing economies available in the TiVA database: Argentina; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; 
Chile; China; Hong-Kong, China; India;  Indonesia; Israel, the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; Philippines; 
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Singapore; South Africa ; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Turkey and Viet Nam. 
19 Technically, the breakdown of gross exports into  their domestic and foreign value added contents 
made for the TiVA database relies on the use of international input-output tables which gather national 
accounts and bilateral trade data on goods and services into a consistent statistical framework. The indicators 
present in TiVA are based on the OECD inter-country input-output  (ICIO) tables. They cover goods and 
services and are available by partne r and sector. Due to the assumptions behind the construction of ICIO WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 33 - 
 
  100.  The GVC participation index shown in Table 13 illustrates the share of value added in 
developing economies' gross exports that is received from and supplied to GVC partners. It indicates the extent to which developing economies are integrated in world production processes. Trade within GVCs relates to intermediate go ods and services, or inputs, exchanged between 
economies to complete the various geogra phically fragmented production stages. 
101.  The GVC participation index comprises tw o components reflecting the upstream and 
downstream links in the chain. Basically, individual economies participate in global value chains by 
importing foreign inputs to produce the goods and services they export (upward linkage to GVCs) 
and also by exporting domestically produced in p u t s  t o  p a r t n e r s  i n  c h a r g e  o f  d o w n s t r e a m  
production stages. The level of domestic and fo reign inputs exchanged by developing economies 
within GVCs was estimated to 58.9% of their exports in 1995 and reached 63% in 2009. This is 
mainly due to the increasing share of foreign va lue added inputs in their exports. The share of 
domestic value added inputs sent to global value chains, however, fluctuated and even decreased slightly between 1995 and 2009. 
Table 13: GVC participation index: the import ance of GVCs in developing economies' 
exports 
(% of total gross exports) 
  1995  2000  2005 2008 2009  
GVC participation index, of which  58.9 61.0 62.0 61.9 63.0 
Domestic value added (VA) inputs exported to GVCs 34.6 33.4 30.5 30.5 32.9 
VA inputs imported from GVCs to produce exports 24.3 27.6 31.5 31.4 30.1 
Note: the developing economie s' group includes only the 20 developing economies available in the ICIO table. 
Source: OECD-WTO TiVA database. 
 
102.  Based on international input-output tables, it is possible to estimate the geographic and 
sectorial origin of the value added contained in  exports. Table 14 presents the exports of 
developing and developed economies by main sect or and the respective value added origins of 
these exports (i.e economies and sectors). 
103.  The table demonstrates that gross exports contain value added not only from the exporting 
sector itself but also from all other sectors of the exporting country and its partners. This clearly illustrates the links and interdependencies of economies and sectors in world production and trade and confirms the high degree of integration of developing economies in GVCs which their high 
GVCs participation index suggests. 
Table 14: The value added origin of exports,  by economic group and main sector, 2008 
(% of total gross exports) 
Gross 
exports Value added origin of exports 
 
Developing economies Developed economies Other economies Total 
Primary 
products Manu-
facturing Ser-
vices Primary  
products Manu-
facturing Ser-
vices Primary  
products Manu-
facturing Ser-
vices   Developing 
economies Primary 
products 82.5 3.5 8.9 0.3 1.4 2.2 0.7 0.3 0.2 100.0 
Manu-
facturing 10.4 47.0 18.8 1.4 8.3 8.0 3.7 1.2 1.0 100.0 
Services 4.3 6.8 74.6 0.6 2.2 8.3 1.8 0.5 0.8 100.0 Developed 
economies  Primary 
products 0.9 0.7 0.7 69.5 6.0 20.0 1.3 0.4 0.5 100.0 
Manu-
facturing 1.5 2.4 1.8 4.4 53.4 31.2 3.0 1.1 1.2 100.0 
Services 0.5 0.6 1.2 1.4 4.8 89.4 1.0 0.4 0.8 100.0 
Note: the economic groups are based on the country co verage available in the IC IO tables: 20 developing 
economies and 35 developed economies. Source: OECD-WTO TiVA database. 
 
                                                                                                                                               
tables and the lack of accurate data in some areas (e.g. bilateral trade in services), the TiVA data are 
estimates rather than actual measures of the value added exchan ged across countries. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 34 - 
 
  104.  Table 14 also illustrates that developing economies source a vast majority of their value 
added exports from developing economies themse lves. This is mainly due to the regional 
concentration of production chains; specifically in developing East Asia, referred to as "factory Asia"
20, where nearly all the necessary infrastructure, resources and intermediates are available to 
produce final goods and services exported all over the world. In fact, the results shown in the table 
are highly influenced by East Asian economies as their weight in the ICIO tables is important; with 12 economies out of 20 and representing around 70% of total exports from the 20 developing 
economies. The value added structure of exports for developing East Asia is identical to that shown 
for the developing economies in Table 14, thus co nfirming the high proportion of intra-exchanges 
within "factory Asia". 
105.  The same pattern is observed and even more accentuated for developed economies. On 
average, developed economies source more than 90% of the value added contained in their 
exports from themselves. The main reason is th at the share of domestic value added of large 
developed economies in their exports is usually high (around 85% of US exports were composed of 
domestic value added in 2008). 
106.  Another important feature of the value added approach of trade is that it highlights the 
significant role of services in world trade. As shown in Table 14, the manufacturing exports from 
developing economies include close to 28% of value added from the services sector (all 
geographical origins). The estimated rate for developed economies stands at around 34%. 
                                               
20 See WTO-IDE-JETRO publication "Trade patterns and global value chains in East Asia: from trade in 
goods to trade in tasks" (2011). WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 35 - 
 
  ANNEX 
THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT FOR TRADING ACROSS BORDERS 
1.  This annex is based on the Doing Business database and the 2012 and 2013 reports, 
co-published by The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Most information is 
drawn from the "Trading across borders" chapte r. The complete database and reports can be 
found at: http://www.doingbusiness.org . 
2.  Since 2010, developing economies continued reducing their delays for exporting and importing, 
by about one day on average. Although the gap is narrowing, developing economies' procedural 
requirements are still considerably longer than in developed countries, by about 12 days for exporting and 16 days for importing. They are also  significantly more expensive, by about 37% for 
exporting and 57% for importing. 
Table 1: Costs of trading across border , 2012 or most recent survey period
a 
Grouping or Regionb Documents 
to export 
(number)c Time to 
export 
(days) Cost to 
export  
(US$ per 
container)d Documents 
to import 
(number)c Time to 
import 
(days) Cost to 
import  
(US$ per 
container)d 
Developing economies, 
of which  6.9 23.1 1433 7.8 26.3 1750 
Latin America 6.3 16.9 1267 7.3 18.8 1620 
Developing Europe 7.0 15.0 1217 7.4 14.4 1264 
Africa 7.5 29.1 1875 8.5 35.0 2410 
Middle East 6.2 20.8 1163 7.3 24.1 1359 
Developing Asia 6.8 23.1 1080 7.5 24.1 1139 
Memorandum items       
World 6.5 21.9 1471 7.4 24.5 1744 
Developed economies 4.4 10.7 1048 5.2 10.4 1114 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States 
(CIS) 8.0 41.2 3293 9.5 46.8 3678 
Landlocked developing 
economies 8.2 36.7 2630 9.4 42.2 3252 
LDCs 7.6 32.5 1860 8.8 36.8 2294 
a Procedural requirements for export ing and importing a standardized cargo of goods by ocean transport. 
Procedures range from packing the goods at the warehous e to their departure from the port of exit. The time 
and cost for ocean transport itself are not included. 
b Computed according to WTO definitions as simple averages across economies composing the respective 
groups.  
c Documents include documents required for clearance by government ministries, customs authorities, port and 
container terminal authorities, health and technical control agencies and banks.  
d Cost is recorded as the fees levied on a 20-foot  container, excluding tariffs or trade taxes.  
Source:  WTO calculations based on World Bank Doing Business database. 
 
3.  Of the 50 economies where trading across bord ers is most difficult, 29 are African. These 
include all of the region's 15 landlocked countries, in which exporters and importers are generally 
more penalized because they suffer obstacles in countries of transit in addition to their own. On 
average, Africa still has the longest delays an d highest costs of trading across borders among 
developing economies. Delays in the region are however about one-day shorter than two years 
ago thanks to major improvements in South Africa and four African LDCs, namely Burundi, Malawi, 
Rwanda and Angola. 
4.  Outside Africa, remarkable improvements were also registered by the Lao People's Democratic 
Republic and Vanuatu –both Asian LDCs –which reduced delays by more than seven days and 
gained 10 places in Doing Business' ranking by ea se of trading across borders. With the exception 
of the Lao People's Democratic Republic conditions did not significantly improve in developing Asia's other landlocked countries. Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bhutan and Nepal remain among the 
15 economies in the world where trading across borders is most difficult, in contrast with 
Singapore; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic  of Korea where exporting and importing is 
smoothest. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 36 - 
 
  5.  Between 2008 and 2010, the time necessary to export and import had been shortened by 
about four days in the Middle East, thanks to large investment in infrastructure and dynamic reforms across the region. However the reform momentum has slowed since the beginning of the Arab Spring in January 2011. Thus, the average export and import delays in the Middle East were 
shortened by only 0.6 days and 0.9 days mainly th anks to improved customs procedures in Qatar, 
Jordan and Israel. 
Chart 1: Change in the time to export and import
a by economic groupings and regions, 
2010-2012 
 
a Time taken by the procedural requ irements for exporting and importing a standardized cargo of goods by 
ocean transport. Procedures range from packing the good s at the warehouse to their departure from the port 
of exit. The time for ocean tran sport itself is not included. 
Source: WTO calculations based on World Bank Doing Bu siness database (simple averages across economies 
composing the respective groups). 
 
6.  There has been little change since 2010 in conditions for trading across borders in developing 
Europe, which remains the region among developing  economies in which export and import delays 
are shortest, although costs are about 10% higher than in developing Asia.  
7.  Delays for trading across borders are also rela tively short in Latin America, where it takes on 
average less than 20 days for exporting and import ing. They are about one-day shorter than two 
years ago mainly thanks to the implementation of the UNCTAD Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) in Belize, Dominica, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago as well as significant 
reductions in export and import delays in Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile and Uruguay.  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 37 - 
 
  APPENDIX 
APPENDIX TABLE 1: MERCHANDISE EXPORTS OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES AND REGIONS, 
2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
World a 17930.47 100.000 100.000 - - 10 20 0 
Developing economies a 7835.19 41.147 43.698 100.000 100.000 13 23 4 
Latin America and the 
Caribbean 1120.46 5.972 6.249 14.514 14.300 12 25 1 
Developing Europe 187.77 0.978 1.047 2.376 2.396 14 19 9 
Africa 630.01 3.428 3.514 8.332 8.041 11 17 5 
Middle East 1349.43 6.088 7.526 14.796 17.223 22 40 6 
Developing Asia a 4547.53 24.680 25.362 59.982 58.040 11 20 3 
Afghanistan 0.37 0.003 0.002 0.006 0.005 -2 -3 -2 
Albania 1.97 0.010 0.011 0.025 0.025 13 26 1 
Algeria 71.87 0.383 0.401 0.931 0.917 12 29 -2 
American Samoa 0.42 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 18 -7 50 
Angola 74.00 0.340 0.413 0.825 0.944 21 33 10 
Antigua and Barbuda 0.06 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 15 23 7 
Argentina 80.93 0.457 0.451 1.112 1.033 9 23 -4 
Aruba 1.85 0.002 0.010 0.004 0.024 165 1859 -64 
Bahamas 0.98 0.005 0.005 0.011 0.013 18 19 18 
Bahrain, Kingdom of 19.77 0.100 0.110 0.244 0.252 15 31 1 
Bangladesh 25.11 0.129 0.140 0.313 0.321 14 27 3 
Barbados 0.57 0.003 0.003 0.007 0.007 15 11 19 
Belize 0.39 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 13 24 4 
Benin 1.40 0.009 0.008 0.021 0.018 5 10 -1 
Bhutan 0.61 0.004 0.003 0.010 0.008 -2 5 -10 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 11.11 0.043 0.062 0.104 0.142 32 30 33 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.16 0.032 0.029 0.078 0.066 4 22 -12 
Botswana 5.97 0.032 0.033 0.077 0.076 13 25 2 
Brazil 242.58 1.355 1.353 3.294 3.096 10 27 -5 
Brunei Darussalam 12.98 0.060 0.072 0.145 0.166 21 40 4 
Burkina Faso 2.18 0.011 0.012 0.026 0.028 17 48 -7 
Burundi 0.13 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 15 22 8 
Cambodia 8.20 0.035 0.046 0.084 0.105 26 36 17 
Cameroon 4.50 0.026 0.025 0.063 0.057 8 16 0 
Cape Verde 0.05 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 9 54 -23 
Central African Republic 0.21 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.003 22 36 11 
Chad 4.40 0.023 0.025 0.057 0.056 12 31 -4 
Chile 78.28 0.477 0.437 1.160 0.999 5 15 -4 
China 2048.71 10.591 11.426 25.740 26.148 14 20 8 
Colombia 60.27 0.267 0.336 0.650 0.769 23 44 5 
Comoros 0.02 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 -4 22 -25 
Congo 10.70 0.062 0.060 0.152 0.137 7 25 -8 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of 6.30 0.036 0.035 0.086 0.080 9 25 -5 
Cook Islands 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 -24 -39 -4 
Costa Rica 11.45 0.063 0.064 0.154 0.146 10 10 10 
Côte d'Ivoire 12.35 0.078 0.069 0.189 0.158 3 9 -2 
Croatia 12.34 0.079 0.069 0.193 0.158 2 13 -8 
Cuba 5.97 0.033 0.033 0.080 0.076 10 31 -7 
Curaçao 0.95 0.005 0.005 0.011 0.012 18 36 2 
Djibouti 0.10 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 6 9 2 
Dominica 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.000 -3 -18 16 
Dominican Republic 9.08 0.045 0.051 0.110 0.116 16 28 5 
Ecuador 23.85 0.117 0.133 0.285 0.304 17 28 7 
Egypt 29.38 0.177 0.164 0.431 0.375 5 19 -7 
El Salvador 5.34 0.030 0.030 0.073 0.068 9 18 1 
Equatorial Guinea 15.50 0.067 0.086 0.163 0.198 24 35 15 
Eritrea 0.48 0.000 0.003 0.000 0.006 532 3233 20 
Ethiopia 3.00 0.016 0.017 0.038 0.038 13 23 4 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 38 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Fiji 1.22 0.006 0.007 0.014 0.016 21 27 14 
French Polynesia 0.14 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 -5 10 -17 
FYR Macedonia 4.00 0.022 0.022 0.055 0.051 9 34 -11 
Gabon 9.66 0.058 0.054 0.142 0.123 5 12 -1 
Gambia 0.10 0.000 0.001 0.001 0.001 69 171 6 
Ghana 13.00 0.053 0.073 0.130 0.166 28 61 2 
Grenada 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 18 17 20 
Guatemala 9.98 0.057 0.056 0.138 0.127 9 23 -4 
Guinea 1.30 0.010 0.007 0.024 0.017 -6 -3 -9 
Guinea-Bissau 0.13 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 1 82 -43 
Guyana 1.39 0.006 0.008 0.014 0.018 26 27 25 
Haiti 0.82 0.004 0.005 0.009 0.010 19 32 6 
Honduras 7.93 0.041 0.044 0.100 0.101 14 28 2 
Hong Kong, China 492.91 - - - - 11 14 8 
domestic exports 22.37 0.099 0.125 0.241 0.286 23 14 33 
India 294.16 1.519 1.641 3.693 3.754 14 34 -3 
Indonesia 188.50 1.061 1.051 2.579 2.406 9 27 -6 
Iran 104.00 0.680 0.580 1.653 1.327 1 30 -21 
Iraq 94.40 0.352 0.526 0.856 1.205 34 59 13 
Israel 63.14 0.392 0.352 0.953 0.806 4 16 -7 
Jamaica 1.71 0.009 0.010 0.022 0.022 13 22 5 
Jordan 7.89 0.047 0.044 0.115 0.101 6 14 -2 
Kenya 6.13 0.035 0.034 0.084 0.078 9 11 6 
Kiribati 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 22 121 -32 
Korea, Dem. People's 
Rep. of 3.75 0.017 0.021 0.042 0.048 21 45 1 
Korea, Republic of 547.87 3.131 3.056 7.609 6.992 8 19 -1 
Kuwait 118.55 0.470 0.661 1.142 1.513 30 46 16 
Lao People's Dem. Rep. 2.27 0.012 0.013 0.028 0.029 14 27 2 
Lebanon 5.62 0.034 0.031 0.082 0.072 6 13 -1 
Lesotho 1.10 0.006 0.006 0.014 0.014 12 34 -6 
Liberia 0.46 0.001 0.003 0.004 0.006 44 65 25 
Libya 62.22 0.327 0.347 0.794 0.794 13 -61 228 
Macao, China 1.02 0.006 0.006 0.014 0.013 8 0 17 
Madagascar 1.50 0.007 0.008 0.017 0.019 18 48 -6 
Malawi 1.18 0.007 0.007 0.017 0.015 5 34 -17 
Malaysia 227.39 1.333 1.268 3.240 2.902 7 15 0 
Maldives 0.31 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 26 75 -9 
Mali 2.16 0.013 0.012 0.033 0.028 4 20 -10 
Marshall Islands 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.000 4 8 0 
Mauritania 2.64 0.014 0.015 0.034 0.034 13 34 -5 
Mauritius 2.67 0.015 0.015 0.037 0.034 9 13 4 
Mexico 370.83 2.002 2.068 4.867 4.733 11 17 6 
Micronesia, Federated 
States of 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 18 12 25 
Mongolia 4.38 0.019 0.024 0.047 0.056 23 66 -9 
Montenegro 0.47 0.003 0.003 0.007 0.006 4 45 -25 
Montserrat 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 45 121 -5 
Morocco 21.42 0.119 0.119 0.290 0.273 10 22 -1 
Mozambique 4.10 0.020 0.023 0.049 0.052 17 20 14 
Myanmar 8.90 0.058 0.050 0.141 0.114 1 7 -4 
Namibia 4.03 0.027 0.022 0.066 0.051 0 9 -8 
Nepal 0.91 0.006 0.005 0.014 0.012 3 7 -1 
New Caledonia 1.32 0.010 0.007 0.024 0.017 -6 11 -20 
Nicaragua 2.68 0.012 0.015 0.030 0.034 20 22 18 
Niger 1.50 0.008 0.008 0.019 0.019 14 9 20 
Nigeria 116.00 0.564 0.647 1.370 1.480 18 36 1 
Niue 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0 0 
Oman 52.14 0.246 0.291 0.597 0.665 19 29 11 
Pakistan 24.57 0.144 0.137 0.349 0.314 7 19 -3 
Palau 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 15 0 33 
Panama 16.22 0.074 0.090 0.179 0.207 22 32 11 
Papua New Guinea 6.13 0.039 0.034 0.094 0.078 3 20 -11 
Paraguay 7.27 0.044 0.041 0.106 0.093 6 19 -6 
Peru 45.64 0.239 0.255 0.580 0.582 13 30 -1 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 39 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Philippines 52.00 0.346 0.290 0.840 0.664 0 -6 8 
Qatar 132.97 0.502 0.742 1.220 1.697 33 53 16 
Rwanda 0.59 0.002 0.003 0.005 0.008 41 56 27 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.05 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 19 40 0 
Saint Lucia 0.16 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.002 -14 -25 -1 
Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 2 -7 12 
Samoa 0.08 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 4 -6 15 
Sao Tome and Principe 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0 1 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom 
of 388.37 1.686 2.166 4.097 4.957 24 45 6 
Senegal 2.53 0.015 0.014 0.035 0.032 8 18 0 
Serbia 11.35 0.066 0.063 0.160 0.145 8 20 -4 
Seychelles 0.50 0.003 0.003 0.007 0.006 11 21 3 
Sierra Leone 1.11 0.002 0.006 0.006 0.014 80 2 217 
Singapore 408.39 2.362 2.278 5.741 5.212 8 16 0 
Sint Maarten 0.13 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 3 3 3 
Solomon Islands 0.49 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.006 48 86 19 
Somalia … … … … … … … … 
South Africa 87.26 0.543 0.487 1.320 1.114 4 21 -11 
Sri Lanka 9.38 0.058 0.052 0.140 0.120 4 19 -8 
Sudan 3.37 0.077 0.019 0.186 0.043 -46 -15 -65 
Suriname 2.56 0.014 0.014 0.033 0.033 12 22 4 
Swaziland 1.90 0.012 0.011 0.029 0.024 3 6 -1 
Syrian Arab Republic 4.00 0.086 0.022 0.209 0.051 -44 -22 -60 
Taipei, Chinese 301.18 1.843 1.680 4.480 3.844 5 12 -2 
Tanzania 5.50 0.027 0.031 0.066 0.070 17 17 16 
Thailand 229.52 1.298 1.280 3.154 2.929 9 15 3 
Timor-Leste 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 -15 -28 0 
Togo 1.00 0.006 0.006 0.015 0.013 5 22 -9 
Tonga 0.02 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 37 74 8 
Trinidad and Tobago 12.98 0.074 0.072 0.179 0.166 9 36 -13 
Tunisia 17.01 0.110 0.095 0.268 0.217 2 9 -5 
Turkey 152.47 0.764 0.850 1.858 1.946 16 18 13 
Tuvalu 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0 0 0 
Uganda 2.36 0.011 0.013 0.026 0.030 21 33 9 
United Arab Emirates 350.00 1.437 1.952 3.491 4.467 28 41 16 
Uruguay 8.74 0.045 0.049 0.110 0.112 14 18 11 
Vanuatu 0.05 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 6 38 -19 
Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Rep. of 97.34 0.441 0.543 1.073 1.242 22 41 5 
Viet Nam 114.53 0.485 0.639 1.178 1.462 26 34 18 
Yemen 8.60 0.056 0.048 0.137 0.110 1 29 -20 
Zambia 8.60 0.048 0.048 0.117 0.110 9 25 -4 
Zimbabwe 3.88 0.021 0.022 0.052 0.050 10 10 11 
Memorandum         
Developed Economies 9290.06 54.898 51.812 133.421 118.568 7 17 -3 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States 
(CIS) 805.25 3.956 4.491 9.613 10.277 17 34 2 
LDCs (49) 205.94 1.090 1.149 2.650 2.628 13 25 1 
NICS (6) 1736.75 10.066 9.686 24.465 22.166 8 16 0 
a Excluding Hong Kong, China re-exports. 
- Not applicable. ... Not available. Note: Recent figures for a number of countries and te rritories have been estimated by the Secretariat. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 40 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLE 2: MERCHANDISE IMPORTS OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES AND REGIONS, 
2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
World a 18187.90 100.000 100.000 - - 9 19 0 
Developing economies a 7391.83 38.242 40.641 100.000 100.000 13 22 4 
Latin America and the 
Caribbean 1135.20 5.897 6.242 15.421 15.358 13 22 4 
Developing Europe 300.07 1.606 1.650 4.199 4.060 11 27 -3 
Africa 610.23 3.136 3.355 8.202 8.256 13 19 8 
Middle East 739.61 3.831 4.067 10.019 10.006 13 17 9 
Developing Asia a 4606.70 23.771 25.328 62.159 62.322 13 23 4 
Afghanistan 5.50 0.034 0.030 0.089 0.074 3 24 -14 
Albania 4.88 0.029 0.027 0.076 0.066 5 22 -10 
Algeria 47.49 0.267 0.261 0.697 0.642 8 17 1 
American Samoa 0.69 0.004 0.004 0.009 0.009 12 27 -1 
Angola b 24.00 0.110 0.132 0.287 0.325 20 21 19 
Antigua and Barbuda 0.53 0.003 0.003 0.009 0.007 3 -6 13 
Argentina 68.51 0.372 0.377 0.974 0.927 10 31 -7 
Aruba b 2.60 0.009 0.014 0.024 0.035 37 327 -56 
Bahamas 3.39 0.017 0.019 0.045 0.046 14 14 14 
Bahrain, Kingdom of 13.92 0.081 0.077 0.211 0.188 7 4 9 
Bangladesh 34.13 0.183 0.188 0.479 0.462 11 30 -6 
Barbados 1.78 0.010 0.010 0.027 0.024 6 15 -1 
Belize 0.88 0.005 0.005 0.012 0.012 12 18 6 
Benin 2.20 0.014 0.012 0.035 0.030 3 7 0 
Bhutan 1.09 0.006 0.006 0.015 0.015 13 23 4 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 8.27 0.037 0.045 0.096 0.112 22 37 8 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.02 0.061 0.055 0.159 0.136 4 20 -9 
Botswana 8.03 0.037 0.044 0.097 0.109 19 29 10 
Brazil 233.37 1.262 1.283 3.301 3.157 10 24 -2 
Brunei Darussalam 3.58 0.017 0.020 0.044 0.048 18 42 -1 
Burkina Faso 3.15 0.013 0.017 0.035 0.043 24 17 31 
Burundi 0.75 0.003 0.004 0.009 0.010 21 48 0 
Cambodia b 11.00 0.045 0.060 0.117 0.149 27 37 18 
Cameroon 7.30 0.034 0.040 0.088 0.099 19 32 7 
Cape Verde 0.77 0.005 0.004 0.013 0.010 2 28 -19 
Central African Republic 0.32 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.004 3 3 3 
Chad 2.80 0.016 0.015 0.041 0.038 8 13 4 
Chile 79.47 0.391 0.437 1.022 1.075 16 27 6 
China 1818.41 9.202 9.998 24.062 24.600 14 25 4 
Colombia 59.11 0.268 0.325 0.701 0.800 21 34 8 
Comoros 0.27 0.002 0.002 0.004 0.004 8 19 -1 
Congo b 5.20 0.026 0.029 0.069 0.070 14 30 0 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of 6.10 0.030 0.034 0.078 0.083 16 22 11 
Cook Islands 0.12 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.002 22 36 10 
Costa Rica 17.58 0.089 0.097 0.234 0.238 14 20 8 
Côte d'Ivoire 9.78 0.052 0.054 0.135 0.132 12 -14 45 
Croatia 20.76 0.132 0.114 0.346 0.281 2 13 -9 
Cuba 13.72 0.076 0.075 0.198 0.186 9 24 -4 
Curaçao 2.25 0.013 0.012 0.033 0.030 9 12 6 
Djibouti b 0.58 0.002 0.003 0.006 0.008 25 37 14 
Dominica 0.20 0.001 0.001 0.004 0.003 -5 1 -12 
Dominican Republic b 17.76 0.102 0.098 0.267 0.240 7 13 2 
Ecuador 25.20 0.136 0.139 0.355 0.341 11 18 4 
Egypt 69.25 0.349 0.381 0.912 0.937 14 18 11 
El Salvador 10.27 0.055 0.056 0.145 0.139 10 18 3 
Equatorial Guinea 7.50 0.034 0.041 0.090 0.101 20 25 15 
Eritrea 1.00 0.005 0.005 0.012 0.014 20 29 12 
Ethiopia 12.66 0.057 0.070 0.148 0.171 21 3 42 
Fiji 2.25 0.012 0.012 0.031 0.030 12 21 3 
French Polynesia 1.71 0.011 0.009 0.030 0.023 -1 4 -5 
FYR Macedonia 6.51 0.036 0.036 0.094 0.088 9 28 -7 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 41 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Gabon 3.63 0.020 0.020 0.051 0.049 10 23 -1 
Gambia 0.38 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 15 21 11 
Ghana 18.00 0.072 0.099 0.188 0.244 28 46 13 
Grenada 0.34 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 3 4 2 
Guatemala 16.99 0.091 0.093 0.238 0.230 11 20 2 
Guinea 2.30 0.009 0.013 0.024 0.031 28 50 9 
Guinea-Bissau b 0.25 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.003 13 32 -4 
Guyana 1.97 0.009 0.011 0.024 0.027 19 26 12 
Haiti 3.17 0.021 0.017 0.054 0.043 0 -4 5 
Honduras b 11.18 0.059 0.061 0.153 0.151 12 23 2 
Hong Kong, China 553.49 - - - - 12 16 8 
retained imports 140.10 0.742 0.770 1.940 1.895 12 17 6 
India 489.67 2.308 2.692 6.036 6.624 18 33 5 
Indonesia 190.38 0.892 1.047 2.332 2.576 19 30 8 
Iran 57.09 0.431 0.314 1.127 0.772 -7 -6 -8 
Iraq 57.00 0.289 0.313 0.757 0.771 14 12 16 
Israel 75.39 0.403 0.415 1.055 1.020 11 24 -1 
Jamaica 6.59 0.034 0.036 0.090 0.089 12 23 2 
Jordan 20.69 0.103 0.114 0.268 0.280 15 22 9 
Kenya 16.29 0.080 0.090 0.208 0.220 16 22 10 
Kiribati 0.11 0.000 0.001 0.001 0.001 22 26 18 
Korea, Dem. People's 
Rep. of 4.75 0.023 0.026 0.061 0.064 16 23 10 
Korea, Republic of 519.58 2.802 2.857 7.328 7.029 11 23 -1 
Kuwait 25.88 0.149 0.142 0.391 0.350 7 12 2 
Lao People's Dem. Rep. 2.47 0.014 0.014 0.036 0.033 9 16 3 
Lebanon 21.95 0.122 0.121 0.318 0.297 9 12 6 
Lesotho 2.60 0.015 0.014 0.040 0.035 6 9 4 
Liberia 1.07 0.005 0.006 0.012 0.014 23 47 2 
Libya 23.00 0.116 0.126 0.305 0.311 14 -55 188 
Macao, China 8.98 0.037 0.049 0.097 0.122 26 41 13 
Madagascar 3.05 0.017 0.017 0.044 0.041 10 15 5 
Malawi 2.72 0.014 0.015 0.037 0.037 12 12 12 
Malaysia 196.62 1.085 1.081 2.837 2.660 9 14 5 
Maldives 1.55 0.007 0.009 0.019 0.021 19 34 6 
Mali 2.94 0.023 0.016 0.059 0.040 -7 -1 -13 
Marshall Islands 0.14 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 2 4 0 
Mauritania 3.17 0.013 0.017 0.033 0.043 28 27 28 
Mauritius 5.35 0.029 0.029 0.076 0.072 10 17 4 
Mexico 380.48 2.044 2.092 5.346 5.147 11 16 5 
Micronesia, Federated 
States of 0.21 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.003 11 6 17 
Mongolia 6.74 0.022 0.037 0.056 0.091 43 101 2 
Montenegro 2.34 0.014 0.013 0.038 0.032 4 17 -8 
Montserrat 0.04 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 12 14 11 
Morocco 44.78 0.233 0.246 0.610 0.606 12 25 1 
Mozambique 6.80 0.030 0.037 0.079 0.092 22 37 8 
Myanmar 9.20 0.031 0.051 0.082 0.124 39 89 2 
Namibia 6.42 0.037 0.035 0.096 0.087 7 14 1 
Nepal 6.06 0.034 0.033 0.088 0.082 9 12 5 
New Caledonia 3.24 0.022 0.018 0.057 0.044 -1 12 -12 
Nicaragua 5.85 0.028 0.032 0.072 0.079 18 25 12 
Niger 2.90 0.016 0.016 0.043 0.039 8 9 7 
Nigeria 51.00 0.292 0.280 0.762 0.690 7 27 -9 
Niue 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 8 33 -13 
Oman 28.60 0.132 0.157 0.344 0.387 20 20 19 
Pakistan 44.16 0.249 0.243 0.652 0.597 8 16 0 
Palau 0.14 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 8 0 17 
Panama 23.39 0.110 0.129 0.288 0.316 18 30 7 
Papua New Guinea 4.94 0.026 0.027 0.068 0.067 12 21 4 
Paraguay 11.56 0.066 0.064 0.173 0.156 7 23 -7 
Peru 42.55 0.198 0.234 0.518 0.576 19 26 13 
Philippines 65.35 0.385 0.359 1.008 0.884 6 9 3 
Qatar 34.20 0.153 0.188 0.400 0.463 21 29 14 
Rwanda 2.41 0.009 0.013 0.025 0.033 30 24 36 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 42 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.23 0.002 0.001 0.005 0.003 -8 -9 -7 
Saint Lucia 0.66 0.004 0.004 0.011 0.009 0 6 -6 
Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines 0.36 0.002 0.002 0.006 0.005 3 -2 9 
Samoa 0.35 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 6 12 0 
Sao Tome and Principe 0.13 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.002 8 17 0 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom 
of 155.59 0.704 0.855 1.842 2.105 21 23 18 
Senegal 6.43 0.032 0.035 0.082 0.087 16 24 9 
Serbia 19.01 0.110 0.105 0.288 0.257 7 19 -4 
Seychelles 0.80 0.004 0.004 0.011 0.011 11 15 7 
Sierra Leone 1.57 0.005 0.009 0.013 0.021 43 123 -8 
Singapore 379.72 2.048 2.088 5.356 5.137 11 18 4 
Sint Maarten 0.77 0.005 0.004 0.012 0.010 3 2 5 
Solomon Islands 0.50 0.003 0.003 0.007 0.007 11 15 6 
Somalia … … … … … … … … 
South Africa 124.25 0.621 0.683 1.624 1.681 15 29 2 
Sri Lanka 19.18 0.089 0.105 0.233 0.260 19 50 -5 
Sudan 9.48 0.066 0.052 0.173 0.128 -3 -8 3 
Suriname 1.78 0.009 0.010 0.024 0.024 13 17 9 
Swaziland 1.99 0.013 0.011 0.034 0.027 1 -1 2 
Syrian Arab Republic 7.30 0.116 0.040 0.303 0.099 -36 -4 -57 
Taipei, Chinese 270.47 1.656 1.487 4.330 3.659 4 12 -4 
Tanzania 11.35 0.052 0.062 0.136 0.153 20 37 5 
Thailand 247.59 1.206 1.361 3.152 3.350 16 25 8 
Timor-Leste 0.38 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.005 13 14 12 
Togo 1.85 0.011 0.010 0.028 0.025 8 13 3 
Tonga 0.20 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.003 12 22 3 
Trinidad and Tobago 9.07 0.043 0.050 0.112 0.123 18 47 -5 
Tunisia 24.45 0.146 0.134 0.383 0.331 5 8 2 
Turkey 236.55 1.223 1.301 3.198 3.200 13 30 -2 
Tuvalu 0.03 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 25 56 0 
Uganda 6.04 0.031 0.033 0.080 0.082 14 21 7 
United Arab Emirates 230.00 1.087 1.265 2.843 3.112 18 23 13 
Uruguay 11.61 0.057 0.064 0.149 0.157 16 24 8 
Vanuatu 0.30 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.004 2 7 -3 
Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Rep. of 60.40 0.257 0.332 0.672 0.817 24 22 27 
Viet Nam 113.78 0.559 0.626 1.462 1.539 16 26 7 
Yemen 12.00 0.061 0.066 0.160 0.162 14 8 20 
Zambia 8.20 0.035 0.045 0.092 0.111 24 35 14 
Zimbabwe 4.40 0.025 0.024 0.065 0.060 8 16 0 
Memorandum         
Developed Economies 10226.96 59.021 56.229 154.336 138.355 7 17 -2 
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 569.12 2.738 3.129 7.159 7.699 17 30 5 
LDCs (49) 224.34 1.116 1.233 2.919 3.035 15 23 8 
NICS (6) 1754.09 9.539 9.644 24.943 23.730 10 19 2 
a Excluding Hong Kong, China imports for re-exports. 
b Imports are valued f.o.b. 
- Not applicable. ... Not available. Note: Recent figures for a number of countries and te rritories have been estimated by the Secretariat. 
 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 43 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLE 3: COMMERCIAL SERVICES EXPORTS OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES AND 
REGIONS, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
World 4349.92 100.000 100.000 - - 7 11 2 
Developing Economies 1372.19 29.691 31.545 100.000 100.000 10 13 7 
Latin America and the 
Caribbean 156.49 3.370 3.598 11.350 11.405 10 17 4 
Developing Europe 64.10 1.455 1.474 4.900 4.672 7 12 3 
Africa 91.22 2.242 2.097 7.550 6.648 3 0 6 
Middle East 129.32 2.721 2.973 9.166 9.424 12 11 13 
Developing Asia 931.05 19.903 21.404 67.034 67.852 11 14 8 
Afghanistan … 0.080 ... 0.271 ... 10 13 6 
Albania 2.07 0.059 0.048 0.199 0.151 -4 6 -14 
Algeria 3.46 0.092 0.080 0.310 0.252 -1 4 -5 
Angola … 0.022 ... 0.076 ... 2 -15 23 
Anguilla 0.11 0.003 0.003 0.010 0.008 2 7 -3 
Antigua and Barbuda 0.50 0.012 0.011 0.041 0.036 3 3 3 
Argentina 15.04 0.352 0.346 1.187 1.096 6 14 -2 
Aruba 1.74 0.040 0.040 0.135 0.126 6 8 5 
Bahamas 2.70 0.064 0.062 0.217 0.197 5 4 5 
Bahrain, Kingdom of 2.82 0.106 0.065 0.357 0.205 -17 -25 -7 
Bangladesh 1.16 0.031 0.027 0.106 0.084 -2 15 -17 
Barbados 1.74 0.042 0.040 0.141 0.127 4 7 2 
Belize 0.37 0.009 0.009 0.029 0.027 7 -4 20 
Benin 0.37 0.009 0.008 0.031 0.027 3 -4 11 
Bhutan 0.10 0.002 0.002 0.006 0.007 21 19 23 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 0.84 0.014 0.019 0.047 0.061 26 47 7 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.09 0.031 0.025 0.106 0.080 -4 2 -10 
Botswana 0.19 0.006 0.004 0.021 0.014 -11 84 -57 
Brazil 38.12 0.793 0.876 2.671 2.778 12 20 5 
Brunei Darussalam … 0.028 ... 0.093 ... -4 -13 6 
Burkina Faso … 0.007 ... 0.024 ... 15 30 2 
Burundi … 0.000 ... 0.001 ... 66 169 2 
Cambodia 2.46 0.042 0.056 0.141 0.179 24 34 15 
Cameroon … 0.029 ... 0.097 ... 1 1 2 
Cape Verde 0.58 0.013 0.013 0.042 0.042 10 16 3 
Central African Republic … 0.001 ... 0.003 ... 5 6 3 
Chad … ... ... ... ... 1 -2 3 
Chile 12.50 0.281 0.287 0.946 0.911 8 21 -4 
China 190.44 4.221 4.378 14.215 13.879 9 9 8 
Colombia 5.15 0.114 0.118 0.384 0.375 9 9 8 
Comoros 0.06 0.001 0.001 0.005 0.004 3 15 -8 
Congo … 0.010 ... 0.033 ... 10 19 2 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of 0.32 0.008 0.007 0.026 0.023 5 12 -2 
Costa Rica 5.55 0.112 0.128 0.378 0.405 14 16 12 
Côte d'Ivoire 0.85 0.023 0.019 0.078 0.062 -3 -11 7 
Croatia 11.95 0.303 0.275 1.021 0.871 2 9 -5 
Cuba 10.22 0.267 0.235 0.900 0.745 0 8 -7 
Curaçao 1.40 ... 0.032 ... 0.102 … … 15 
Djibouti … 0.004 ... 0.013 ... 2 2 2 
Dominica 0.13 0.003 0.003 0.011 0.009 0 2 -1 
Dominican Republic 5.43 0.132 0.125 0.446 0.396 4 3 4 
Ecuador 1.69 0.036 0.039 0.121 0.123 11 8 14 
Egypt 21.34 0.618 0.490 2.083 1.555 -5 -19 12 
El Salvador 1.26 0.025 0.029 0.083 0.092 15 8 24 
Equatorial Guinea … 0.001 ... 0.003 ... 7 11 4 
Eritrea … ... ... ... ... 1 0 3 
Ethiopia 2.60 0.052 0.060 0.176 0.189 14 30 0 
Fiji … 0.021 ... 0.071 ... 11 13 8 
French Polynesia … 0.020 ... 0.066 ... 6 5 7 
FYR Macedonia 1.06 0.023 0.024 0.078 0.077 9 25 -4 
Gabon … 0.004 ... 0.013 ... 6 9 2 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 44 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Gambia … 0.003 ... 0.012 ... 10 17 3 
Ghana 2.76 0.035 0.063 0.118 0.201 43 29 59 
Grenada 0.14 0.004 0.003 0.012 0.010 2 7 -4 
Guatemala 2.36 0.057 0.054 0.193 0.172 4 2 5 
Guinea 0.16 0.002 0.004 0.005 0.011 60 16 120 
Guinea-Bissau … 0.001 ... 0.004 ... -36 -60 2 
Guyana … 0.006 ... 0.022 ... 14 24 5 
Haiti 0.22 0.005 0.005 0.017 0.016 7 3 12 
Honduras 1.04 0.025 0.024 0.083 0.075 5 5 5 
Hong Kong, China 123.39 2.722 2.837 9.168 8.992 9 14 5 
India 140.70 3.235 3.235 10.895 10.254 7 11 3 
Indonesia 22.55 0.424 0.518 1.429 1.644 18 24 12 
Iran … 0.211 ... 0.712 ... 4 6 2 
Iraq … 0.058 ... 0.194 ... 1 -2 3 
Israel 29.65 0.637 0.682 2.145 2.161 10 10 11 
Jamaica 2.64 0.068 0.061 0.229 0.193 1 -1 2 
Jordan 5.38 0.137 0.124 0.460 0.392 1 -9 14 
Kenya 4.06 0.079 0.093 0.265 0.296 16 10 23 
Kiribati … ... ... ... ... 12 15 8 
Korea, Dem. People's 
Rep. of … ... ... ... ... … … … 
Korea, Republic of 109.62 2.258 2.520 7.607 7.989 13 9 17 
Kuwait 9.76 0.229 0.224 0.770 0.711 6 10 2 
Lao People's Dem. Rep. … 0.013 ... 0.043 ... 8 8 9 
Lebanon … 0.418 ... 1.407 ... 25 23 27 
Lesotho … 0.001 ... 0.003 ... 14 17 10 
Liberia … 0.001 ... 0.004 ... 208 819 3 
Libya … 0.011 ... 0.036 ... -73 -93 1 
Macao, China 45.47 0.751 1.045 2.530 3.314 26 39 14 
Madagascar 1.33 0.026 0.031 0.087 0.097 16 10 22 
Malawi … 0.002 ... 0.007 ... 1 -1 3 
Malaysia 37.53 0.828 0.863 2.790 2.735 9 13 5 
Maldives 1.99 0.047 0.046 0.159 0.145 5 9 1 
Mali … 0.009 ... 0.031 ... 5 6 3 
Mauritania 0.12 0.002 0.003 0.008 0.008 16 76 -23 
Mauritius 3.36 0.070 0.077 0.234 0.245 13 22 4 
Mexico 16.02 0.397 0.368 1.337 1.167 3 1 5 
Micronesia, Federated 
States of … ... ... ... ... 12 15 9 
Mongolia 0.75 0.013 0.017 0.043 0.055 25 28 22 
Montenegro 1.17 0.026 0.027 0.087 0.085 9 19 0 
Montserrat 0.01 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 -4 -8 0 
Morocco 13.12 0.318 0.302 1.070 0.956 4 12 -3 
Mozambique 0.74 0.015 0.017 0.049 0.054 16 14 18 
Myanmar … 0.009 ... 0.029 ... 37 75 7 
Namibia 0.82 0.023 0.019 0.077 0.060 -4 5 -12 
Nepal 0.77 0.015 0.018 0.051 0.056 15 33 -1 
New Caledonia … 0.010 ... 0.033 ... 8 9 7 
Nicaragua 0.62 0.013 0.014 0.043 0.046 13 18 8 
Niger … 0.003 ... 0.010 ... 9 15 4 
Nigeria 2.35 0.069 0.054 0.232 0.171 -5 -12 1 
Oman 2.52 0.050 0.058 0.167 0.184 15 13 17 
Pakistan 3.18 0.077 0.073 0.260 0.232 4 15 -6 
Panama 8.82 0.161 0.203 0.543 0.643 20 17 23 
Papua New Guinea 0.47 0.007 0.011 0.025 0.034 30 38 23 
Paraguay … 0.035 ... 0.117 ... 18 33 5 
Peru 4.95 0.093 0.114 0.313 0.361 18 19 17 
Philippines 18.48 0.369 0.425 1.243 1.347 14 26 4 
Qatar 8.85 0.074 0.203 0.249 0.645 77 97 59 
Rwanda 0.35 0.006 0.008 0.021 0.026 21 45 1 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.13 0.003 0.003 0.011 0.010 2 5 0 
Saint Lucia 0.40 0.010 0.009 0.034 0.029 1 -3 5 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.15 0.004 0.003 0.012 0.011 3 3 3 
Samoa … 0.004 ... 0.014 ... 8 7 9 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 45 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Sao Tome and Principe 0.02 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 15 38 -5 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom 
of 10.57 0.271 0.243 0.913 0.771 1 7 -5 
Senegal 0.94 0.025 0.022 0.083 0.069 0 8 -7 
Serbia 3.99 0.092 0.092 0.311 0.291 6 19 -5 
Seychelles 0.57 0.015 0.013 0.052 0.041 -2 4 -7 
Sierra Leone … 0.002 ... 0.005 ... 65 167 2 
Singapore 111.93 2.463 2.573 8.296 8.157 9 15 3 
Sint Maarten 1.04 ... 0.024 ... 0.076 … … 15 
Solomon Islands 0.14 0.003 0.003 0.009 0.010 16 24 8 
Somalia … ... ... ... ... … … … 
South Africa 14.71 0.356 0.338 1.201 1.072 4 6 2 
South Sudan … ... ... ... ... … … … 
Sri Lanka 3.76 0.064 0.086 0.216 0.274 24 25 23 
Sudan 0.31 0.006 0.007 0.020 0.022 17 36 0 
Suriname 0.17 0.005 0.004 0.018 0.012 -10 -8 -12 
Swaziland … 0.007 ... 0.022 ... -2 -6 2 
Syrian Arab Republic … 0.184 ... 0.621 ... 4 4 4 
Taipei, Chinese 48.75 1.050 1.121 3.536 3.552 10 14 7 
Tanzania 2.65 0.052 0.061 0.176 0.193 15 16 14 
Thailand 49.18 0.892 1.131 3.006 3.584 20 21 19 
Timor-Leste … 0.001 ... 0.003 ... -2 -12 9 
Togo … 0.008 ... 0.025 ... 14 27 2 
Tonga 0.05 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.004 25 22 27 
Trinidad and Tobago … 0.023 ... 0.077 ... ... ... 6 
Tunisia 4.91 0.143 0.113 0.482 0.358 -5 -19 10 
Turkey 42.01 0.904 0.966 3.044 3.061 10 11 9 
Tuvalu … 0.000 ... 0.000 ... 6 3 8 
Uganda 1.89 0.027 0.044 0.092 0.138 ... ... 17 
United Arab Emirates 14.28 0.289 0.328 0.972 1.041 14 9 18 
Uruguay 3.16 0.066 0.073 0.224 0.230 12 32 -6 
Vanuatu 0.31 0.007 0.007 0.024 0.023 8 4 11 
Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Rep. of 1.85 0.043 0.043 0.143 0.135 7 5 9 
Viet Nam 9.49 0.193 0.218 0.649 0.692 14 17 11 
Yemen 1.01 0.038 0.023 0.129 0.074 -17 -25 -7 
Zambia … 0.008 ... 0.027 ... 11 21 2 
Zimbabwe … 0.007 ... 0.025 ... 5 19 -6 
Memorandum         
Developed Economies 2873.14 68.219 66.050 229.768 209.384 5 11 0 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States (CIS) 104.59 2.090 2.404 7.039 7.622 14 20 9 
LDCs (49) 27.09 0.564 0.623 1.899 1.974 12 18 6 
NICS (6) 480.40 10.215 11.044 34.403 35.010 11 14 8 
- Not applicable. ... Not available. Note: Recent figures for a number of countries and te rritories have been estimated by the Secretariat. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 46 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLE 4: COMMERCIAL SERVICES IMPORTS OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES AND 
REGIONS, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$ and %) 
 
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
World 4152.28 100.000 100.000 - - 7 12 3 
Developing Economies 1566.64 35.271 37.730 100.000 100.000 11 15 7 
Latin America and the 
Caribbean 209.46 4.505 5.045 12.773 13.370 13 22 6 
Developing Europe 30.49 0.813 0.734 2.304 1.946 2 8 -4 
Africa 158.55 3.859 3.818 10.942 10.120 7 12 1 
Middle East 237.47 5.436 5.719 15.412 15.158 10 14 6 
Developing Asia 930.66 20.658 22.413 58.569 59.405 12 15 8 
Afghanistan … 0.035 ... 0.099 ... 11 15 7 
Albania 1.86 0.055 0.045 0.156 0.119 -3 12 -17 
Algeria 11.00 0.320 0.265 0.906 0.702 -2 4 -8 
Angola … 0.444 ... 1.258 ... 23 40 7 
Anguilla 0.05 0.002 0.001 0.004 0.003 -5 -1 -8 
Antigua and Barbuda 0.21 0.006 0.005 0.017 0.013 -2 -4 1 
Argentina 18.28 0.400 0.440 1.134 1.167 12 21 5 
Aruba 0.79 0.018 0.019 0.050 0.051 12 30 -4 
Bahamas 1.52 0.030 0.037 0.086 0.097 18 14 21 
Bahrain, Kingdom of 1.49 0.053 0.036 0.149 0.095 -11 -7 -16 
Bangladesh 4.91 0.114 0.118 0.324 0.314 9 21 -1 
Barbados 0.35 0.019 0.008 0.053 0.022 -28 -22 -34 
Belize 0.18 0.004 0.004 0.012 0.011 7 6 9 
Benin 0.63 0.014 0.015 0.039 0.040 12 12 12 
Bhutan 0.13 0.002 0.003 0.007 0.008 25 30 19 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1.86 0.031 0.045 0.089 0.118 28 45 14 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.50 0.015 0.012 0.041 0.032 -2 6 -10 
Botswana 0.50 0.015 0.012 0.043 0.032 -4 21 -23 
Brazil 77.75 1.654 1.872 4.688 4.963 14 22 7 
Brunei Darussalam … 0.038 ... 0.107 ... -3 -14 9 
Burkina Faso … 0.023 ... 0.064 ... 15 30 2 
Burundi … 0.004 ... 0.012 ... 11 21 3 
Cambodia 1.51 0.027 0.036 0.076 0.096 25 34 17 
Cameroon … 0.048 ... 0.135 ... 1 1 2 
Cape Verde 0.29 0.008 0.007 0.023 0.018 -1 7 -8 
Central African Republic … 0.005 ... 0.014 ... 2 2 3 
Chad … ... ... ... ... 6 10 3 
Chile 14.72 0.351 0.355 0.995 0.940 8 21 -4 
China 280.16 5.319 6.747 15.079 17.883 21 23 18 
Colombia 10.45 0.221 0.252 0.626 0.667 14 18 11 
Comoros 0.10 0.003 0.003 0.007 0.007 6 14 -2 
Congo … 0.134 ... 0.380 ... 7 13 2 
Congo, Dem. Rep. of 2.81 0.069 0.068 0.196 0.180 6 5 7 
Costa Rica 2.03 0.049 0.049 0.140 0.129 7 0 15 
Côte d'Ivoire 2.65 0.071 0.064 0.202 0.169 1 -4 7 
Croatia 3.67 0.096 0.088 0.271 0.234 3 3 3 
Cuba 2.28 0.053 0.055 0.151 0.145 9 15 3 
Curaçao 0.87 ... 0.021 ... 0.056 … … 10 
Djibouti … 0.003 ... 0.008 ... 19 38 3 
Dominica 0.07 0.002 0.002 0.005 0.004 1 2 1 
Dominican Republic 2.14 0.057 0.051 0.161 0.136 2 2 2 
Ecuador 3.14 0.082 0.076 0.232 0.200 3 4 3 
Egypt 15.47 0.360 0.373 1.019 0.987 9 1 18 
El Salvador 1.15 0.028 0.028 0.080 0.073 6 5 7 
Equatorial Guinea … 0.055 ... 0.155 ... 13 24 2 
Eritrea … ... ... ... ... 6 9 4 
Ethiopia 3.87 0.070 0.093 0.199 0.247 24 31 17 
Fiji … 0.014 ... 0.040 ... 11 15 7 
French Polynesia … 0.016 ... 0.046 ... 1 -6 8 
FYR Macedonia 1.01 0.023 0.024 0.064 0.064 11 16 6 
Gabon … 0.053 ... 0.150 ... 15 29 3 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 47 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Gambia … 0.002 ... 0.006 ... -2 -7 3 
Ghana 3.04 0.068 0.073 0.192 0.194 12 28 -3 
Grenada 0.09 0.002 0.002 0.007 0.006 1 2 0 
Guatemala 2.53 0.065 0.061 0.185 0.161 3 5 2 
Guinea 0.90 0.011 0.022 0.030 0.057 54 38 71 
Guinea-Bissau … 0.003 ... 0.008 ... -8 -17 3 
Guyana … 0.010 ... 0.027 ... 15 24 7 
Haiti 0.70 0.020 0.017 0.056 0.045 -1 2 -4 
Honduras 1.46 0.032 0.035 0.090 0.093 13 25 2 
Hong Kong, China 57.24 1.416 1.379 4.015 3.654 6 10 2 
India 127.48 3.221 3.070 9.132 8.137 5 6 3 
Indonesia 33.33 0.708 0.803 2.009 2.127 14 20 8 
Iran … 0.623 ... 1.765 ... -7 -17 4 
Iraq … 0.266 ... 0.754 ... 8 13 3 
Israel 20.22 0.486 0.487 1.378 1.291 7 9 6 
Jamaica 1.98 0.049 0.048 0.139 0.126 6 7 5 
Jordan 4.46 0.119 0.107 0.338 0.285 2 1 2 
Kenya 2.34 0.050 0.056 0.143 0.149 13 8 19 
Kiribati … ... ... ... ... 12 16 8 
Korea, Dem. People's 
Rep. of … ... ... ... ... … … … 
Korea, Republic of 107.06 2.628 2.578 7.451 6.834 6 5 7 
Kuwait 18.21 0.395 0.439 1.120 1.163 13 15 11 
Lao People's Dem. Rep. … 0.007 ... 0.020 ... 19 26 12 
Lebanon … 0.371 ... 1.053 ... -5 -4 -7 
Lesotho … 0.012 ... 0.034 ... 17 18 16 
Liberia … 0.006 ... 0.018 ... 8 14 3 
Libya … 0.145 ... 0.412 ... -15 -31 4 
Macao, China 10.59 0.198 0.255 0.561 0.676 22 41 5 
Madagascar 1.05 0.028 0.025 0.079 0.067 2 4 0 
Malawi … 0.005 ... 0.014 ... 8 12 3 
Malaysia 41.96 0.886 1.011 2.511 2.679 15 18 11 
Maldives 0.58 0.012 0.014 0.035 0.037 14 20 8 
Mali … 0.028 ... 0.078 ... 4 5 2 
Mauritania 0.87 0.016 0.021 0.045 0.055 24 14 35 
Mauritius 2.38 0.054 0.057 0.153 0.152 10 26 -3 
Mexico 25.25 0.605 0.608 1.715 1.612 7 15 1 
Micronesia, Federated 
States of … ... ... ... ... 11 16 7 
Mongolia 2.02 0.021 0.049 0.060 0.129 63 133 14 
Montenegro 0.48 0.012 0.011 0.034 0.030 5 -2 12 
Montserrat 0.02 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001 -1 -7 4 
Morocco 6.58 0.158 0.159 0.449 0.420 7 17 -2 
Mozambique 2.33 0.035 0.056 0.099 0.149 36 16 59 
Myanmar … 0.021 ... 0.059 ... 23 42 7 
Namibia 0.64 0.019 0.015 0.054 0.041 -4 3 -10 
Nepal 0.88 0.023 0.021 0.066 0.056 2 -10 16 
New Caledonia … 0.039 ... 0.109 ... 5 3 7 
Nicaragua 0.87 0.019 0.021 0.054 0.056 13 17 9 
Niger … 0.023 ... 0.066 ... 7 12 2 
Nigeria 20.87 0.552 0.503 1.565 1.332 2 13 -7 
Oman 7.96 0.174 0.192 0.494 0.508 12 12 13 
Pakistan 7.31 0.179 0.176 0.508 0.467 6 12 1 
Panama 3.78 0.073 0.091 0.208 0.241 19 25 14 
Papua New Guinea 3.64 0.076 0.088 0.215 0.232 15 8 23 
Paraguay … 0.020 ... 0.055 ... 14 22 6 
Peru 7.21 0.163 0.174 0.462 0.460 11 8 14 
Philippines 14.09 0.308 0.339 0.873 0.900 13 8 17 
Qatar 22.13 0.212 0.533 0.602 1.412 70 103 42 
Rwanda 0.41 0.012 0.010 0.035 0.026 -3 18 -21 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.09 0.003 0.002 0.007 0.006 -2 -3 -2 
Saint Lucia 0.19 0.005 0.005 0.016 0.012 -1 2 -4 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.09 0.002 0.002 0.007 0.006 3 0 5 
Samoa … 0.002 ... 0.006 ... 4 1 7 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 48 - 
 
   
Value Share in world Share in 
developing 
economies Annual percentage 
change 
 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010
-12 2011 2012 
Sao Tome and Principe 0.02 0.001 0.001 0.002 0.001 3 27 -16 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom 
of 49.89 1.411 1.201 4.001 3.184 -1 8 -9 
Senegal 1.11 0.030 0.027 0.085 0.071 2 11 -7 
Serbia 3.69 0.096 0.089 0.273 0.236 3 13 -6 
Seychelles 0.37 0.012 0.009 0.033 0.023 -6 0 -12 
Sierra Leone … 0.004 ... 0.012 ... 29 63 2 
Singapore 117.74 2.700 2.836 7.654 7.516 10 17 3 
Sint Maarten 0.26 ... 0.006 ... 0.016 … … 9 
Solomon Islands 0.19 0.005 0.005 0.014 0.012 3 6 -1 
Somalia … ... ... ... ... 8 14 2 
South Africa 17.19 0.499 0.414 1.414 1.098 -2 7 -11 
South Sudan … ... ... ... ... … … … 
Sri Lanka 4.41 0.085 0.106 0.241 0.281 20 29 11 
Sudan 1.83 0.061 0.044 0.172 0.117 -9 -12 -5 
Suriname 0.58 0.007 0.014 0.019 0.037 57 133 6 
Swaziland … 0.018 ... 0.051 ... 10 19 2 
Syrian Arab Republic … 0.093 ... 0.265 ... 8 13 3 
Taipei, Chinese 42.14 1.027 1.015 2.912 2.690 7 11 2 
Tanzania 2.30 0.051 0.055 0.145 0.147 12 17 7 
Thailand 52.52 1.239 1.265 3.513 3.352 8 16 1 
Timor-Leste … 0.012 ... 0.035 ... 39 81 7 
Togo … 0.011 ... 0.031 ... 14 26 2 
Tonga 0.06 0.001 0.001 0.003 0.004 20 27 14 
Trinidad and Tobago … 0.010 ... 0.029 ... ... ... 7 
Tunisia 3.11 0.088 0.075 0.248 0.198 -1 -2 0 
Turkey 18.92 0.503 0.456 1.425 1.208 2 7 -3 
Tuvalu … 0.001 ... 0.002 ... 22 37 8 
Uganda 2.39 0.049 0.058 0.139 0.153 ... ... -1 
United Arab Emirates 62.97 1.144 1.517 3.244 4.019 23 35 13 
Uruguay 2.24 0.041 0.054 0.117 0.143 22 31 15 
Vanuatu 0.14 0.003 0.003 0.009 0.009 10 20 0 
Venezuela, Bolivarian 
Rep. of 17.08 0.347 0.411 0.985 1.090 17 20 14 
Viet Nam 12.35 0.270 0.297 0.767 0.789 12 20 6 
Yemen 2.44 0.064 0.059 0.180 0.156 3 -3 10 
Zambia … 0.025 ... 0.071 ... 14 28 2 
Zimbabwe … 0.023 ... 0.065 ... 10 31 -8 
Memorandum         
Developed Economies 2433.66 61.709 58.610 174.955 155.343 4 10 0 
Commonwealth of 
Independent States (CIS) 151.98 3.020 3.660 8.563 9.701 18 18 18 
LDCs (49) 71.69 1.503 1.726 4.261 4.576 15 23 7 
NICS (6) 418.67 9.896 10.083 28.056 26.724 8 12 4 
- Not applicable. ... Not available. Note: Recent figures for a number of countries and te rritories have been estimated by the Secretariat. 
 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 49 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLE 5: CHANGES IN EXPORT PRICES OF PRIMARY COMMODITIES, 2010-2012 
(Annual % change, in terms of US$) 
 2010-12 2011  2012   2010-12 2011 2012  
Food and beverages 7  19  -4  Agricultural raw 
materials 4  23  -13  
Food 8  20  -2  Timber 3  10  -3  
Cereals 19  39  2  Cotton -7  49  -42  
Wheat 18  41  -1  Wool 19  53  -8  
Maize 27  57  2  Rubber -4  32  -30  
Rice 6  6  5  Hides and skins 8  14  1  
Barley 23  31  15      
Vegetable oils & 
protein meals 13  23  4  Minerals and non-
ferrous metalsa -3  14  -17  
Meat 6  14  -1  Copper 3  17  -10  
Beef 11  20  3  Aluminium -4  10  -16  
Lamb -17  2  -32  Iron ore -6  14  -23  
Swine meat 5  20  -7  Tin 2  28  -19  
Poultry 5  2  8  Nickel -10  5  -23  
Seafood -10  -1  -19  Zinc -5  2  -11  
Fish -12  -4  -19  Lead -2  12  -14  
Shrimp 0  18  -16  Uranium 3  22  -13  
Sugar 1  23  -17      
Bananas 6  11  1  Energy 18  36  1  
Oranges -8  -14  -3  Natural gas 23  36  11  
Beverages -3  17  -19  Crude petroleum 18  37  2  
Coffee 4  40  -22  Coal -1  24  -21  
Cocoa beans -13  -5  -20      
Tea 5  9  1  All primary 
commodities 12  29  -3  
a Excluding crude petroleum. 
  WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 50 - 
 
  APPENDIX TABLE 6: NETWORK OF DEVELOPING  ECONOMIES MERCHANDISE TRADE BY PRODUCT 
AND REGION, 2010-2012 
(Billion US$) 
 Destinations 
Reporter 
(origin) World Developed 
economies Developing economies 
Total Developing 
Asia Other 
product 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 
Developing economies  
Agricultural 
products 511.6 646.0 211.0 251.9 277.0 368.3 151.2 205.1 125.8 163.2 
Food 427.7 541.1 177.4 210.1 228.1 307.3 112.8 156.0 115.3 151.3 
Fuels and 
mining products 1615.
3 2251.
8 704.4 929.1 853.0 1232.
3 661.7 958.6 191.3 273.6 
Fuels 1338.
7 1940.
8 591.9 805.3 695.4 1053.
1 535.6 818.0 159.8 235.0 
Non-fuel 
minerals 276.6 310.9 112.4 123.8 157.6 179.2 126.0 140.6 31.5 38.6 
Manufactures 3797.
4 4634.
0 1876.
4 2194.
5 1804.
6 2284.
3 1175.
4 1462.
8 629.2 821.4 
Iron and steel 144.3 177.1 45.5 56.8 95.4 114.9 52.8 62.9 42.6 52.1 
Office & 
telecom equipment 995.6 1079.
7 529.8 540.4 457.3 526.9 389.9 449.7 67.4 77.2 
Automotive 
products 234.6 307.5 121.9 154.4 104.4 137.3 30.8 40.8 73.6 96.5 
Textiles 157.9 187.4 57.8 64.5 92.8 112.6 51.4 62.1 41.4 50.6 
Clothing 242.6 301.5 187.3 213.4 42.7 67.4 13.9 25.3 28.8 42.0 
Total 
merchandise 6129.
6 7835.
2 2844.
5 3445.
2 3005.
1 4002.
5 2025.
0 2688.
1 980.1 1314.
4 
           
Latin America and the Caribbean  
Agricultural 
products 183.0 228.1 85.9 100.1 88.2 118.6 35.9 49.7 52.4 68.9 
Food 165.1 207.4 76.1 89.8 80.7 108.9 30.9 42.9 49.8 66.0 
Fuels and 
mining products 296.1 385.6 161.1 209.5 132.0 172.5 70.3 90.6 61.8 81.8 
Fuels 178.3 250.8 108.8 149.7 66.8 97.7 19.2 30.7 47.6 67.0 
Non-fuel 
minerals 117.8 134.8 52.4 59.8 65.2 74.8 51.1 59.9 14.2 14.9 
Manufactures 385.5 468.9 260.0 316.1 124.2 150.9 14.2 18.6 110.0 132.3 
Iron and steel 19.1 24.1 7.8 11.6 11.2 12.4 3.9 3.6 7.3 8.7 
Office & 
telecom equipment 66.1 69.3 57.4 60.0 8.7 9.2 2.1 3.3 6.6 5.9 
Automotive 
products 78.5 100.9 52.4 68.1 25.9 32.4 1.1 1.7 24.8 30.7 
Textiles 5.8 6.4 2.2 2.3 3.6 4.1 0.1 0.1 3.5 4.0 
Clothing 17.5 20.1 13.8 14.8 3.7 5.2 0.0 0.1 3.6 5.1 
Total 
merchandise 889.7 1120.
5 523.6 652.2 345.0 444.0 120.4 159.9 224.6 284.2 
           
Developing Europe  
Agricultural 
products 17.9 22.1 8.5 9.5 7.3 10.3 0.7 0.7 6.6 9.5 
Food 16.4 20.3 7.5 8.3 6.9 9.8 0.6 0.6 6.3 9.1 
Fuels and 
mining products 15.4 19.9 7.2 9.0 7.4 9.9 2.3 2.8 5.1 7.1 
Fuels 7.7 10.9 2.8 4.3 4.5 6.2 0.5 0.6 3.9 5.6 
Non-fuel 
minerals 7.7 9.0 4.4 4.7 2.9 3.7 1.8 2.2 1.1 1.5 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 51 - 
 
   Destinations 
Reporter 
(origin) World Developed 
economies Developing economies 
Total Developing 
Asia Other 
product 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 
Manufactures 108.2 129.6 63.2 70.6 33.4 41.6 2.9 3.3 30.5 38.3 
Iron and steel 12.5 14.9 3.6 3.8 8.5 10.2 0.6 0.6 7.9 9.6 
Office & 
telecom equipment 2.6 3.2 2.1 2.5 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.3 
Automotive 
products 14.3 15.7 11.5 12.3 1.9 2.2 0.1 0.1 1.8 2.1 
Textiles 9.3 11.4 5.2 5.8 2.4 3.3 0.3 0.4 2.1 2.9 
Clothing 14.7 16.4 12.7 13.5 1.2 1.8 0.1 0.1 1.1 1.7 
Total 
merchandise 145.6 187.8 81.2 92.5 49.7 74.3 6.5 7.5 43.2 66.8 
Africa  
Agricultural 
products 49.7 57.4 23.2 24.4 24.8 31.1 7.3 10.5 17.5 20.7 
Food 39.9 45.9 19.2 19.7 19.1 24.5 3.7 6.3 15.4 18.2 
Fuels and 
mining products 339.4 437.7 203.6 245.6 127.0 172.0 86.3 111.4 40.8 60.6 
Fuels 292.9 383.5 178.2 216.7 106.3 147.2 71.2 93.1 35.2 54.1 
Non-fuel 
minerals 46.5 54.2 25.5 28.9 20.7 24.8 15.1 18.3 5.6 6.5 
Manufactures 93.4 103.4 47.9 51.3 44.1 49.5 8.6 8.9 35.5 40.6 
Iron and steel 10.1 8.5 4.2 3.2 5.8 5.2 2.3 1.8 3.5 3.4 
Office & 
telecom 
equipment 2.9 3.5 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.8 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.3 
Automotive 
products 8.3 9.2 5.7 5.6 2.6 3.4 0.3 0.4 2.3 3.0 
Textiles 3.1 3.1 1.8 1.8 1.2 1.3 0.1 0.1 1.1 1.2 
Clothing 9.4 10.0 8.8 9.1 0.6 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.8 
Total 
merchandise 510.7 630.0 282.5 330.9 211.8 271.5 106.3 135.4 105.5 136.1 
           
Middle East  
Agricultural 
products 26.8 29.8 2.8 2.9 19.3 23.2 4.6 5.6 14.7 17.6 
Food 25.2 27.8 2.3 2.5 18.4 22.1 4.2 5.1 14.2 17.0 
Fuels and 
mining products 593.2 915.2 226.1 327.6 329.9 530.8 278.6 456.7 51.3 74.1 
Fuels 578.1 892.5 224.5 325.7 319.2 513.8 272.4 447.4 46.8 66.4 
Non-fuel 
minerals 15.0 22.7 1.7 1.9 10.7 17.0 6.2 9.3 4.5 7.7 
Manufactures 203.7 265.4 55.9 64.7 130.7 176.9 66.5 89.6 64.3 87.2 
Iron and steel 5.1 7.2 0.5 0.4 4.1 6.0 1.3 1.8 2.8 4.1 
Office & 
telecom 
equipment 12.9 15.5 3.3 3.0 8.9 11.8 3.3 4.2 5.6 7.5 
Automotive 
products 9.9 13.0 0.9 0.8 8.3 11.1 1.0 1.5 7.3 9.6 
Textiles 5.3 6.5 1.3 1.3 3.4 4.2 0.6 0.7 2.8 3.6 
Clothing 3.3 10.3 1.2 1.4 1.7 2.3 0.1 0.1 1.6 2.2 
Total 
merchandise 907.0 1349.
4 290.4 406.0 496.2 757.6 359.3 571.2 136.9 186.4 
           
Developing Asia  
Agricultural 
products 234.2 308.7 90.7 115.1 137.3 185.2 102.8 138.7 34.5 46.5 
Food 181.1 239.6 72.3 89.9 103.0 142.0 73.5 101.0 29.6 41.0 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 52 - 
 
   Destinations 
Reporter 
(origin) World Developed 
economies Developing economies 
Total Developing 
Asia Other 
product 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 2010 2012 
Fuels and 
mining products 371.2 493.3 106.3 137.4 256.7 347.1 224.3 297.1 32.4 50.0 
Fuels 281.6 403.1 77.7 109.0 198.7 288.1 172.4 246.1 26.3 42.0 
Non-fuel 
minerals 89.5 90.2 28.5 28.5 58.0 59.0 51.9 51.0 6.1 8.0 
Manufactures 3006.
6 3666.
7 1449.
5 1691.
9 1472.
1 1865.
4 1083.
2 1342.
4 388.9 523.0 
Iron and steel 97.5 122.4 29.3 37.7 65.8 81.2 44.6 54.9 21.2 26.2 
Office & 
telecom 
equipment 911.1 988.3 465.2 473.3 438.1 503.7 384.0 441.5 54.1 62.2 
Automotive 
products 123.7 168.6 51.4 67.5 65.7 88.1 28.3 37.1 37.4 51.1 
Textiles 134.4 159.9 47.3 53.4 82.2 99.7 50.4 60.8 31.8 38.9 
Clothing 197.7 244.7 150.8 174.6 35.5 57.2 13.7 25.0 21.8 32.2 
Total 
merchandise 3676.
6 4547.
5 1666.
9 1963.
6 1902.
4 2455.
1 1432.
4 1814.
2 469.9 640.9 
Source: WTO Secretariat. WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 53 - 
 
  APPENDIX 7: COMPOSITION OF REPORTER AND PARTNER GROUPS 
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES include 
 
Latin America (including the Caribbean):  
 
 Mexico (classified within North America in the International Trade Statistics 
publication); 
 Central America:  Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and 
Panama; 
 South America:  Argentina; Bolivia, Plurinational State of; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; 
Ecuador; Guyana; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Uruguay; Venezuela, Bolivarian Rep. 
of; 
 The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, 
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 
Saint Lucia, Saint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and 
Tobago; 
 Other countries and territories in Latin America n.e.s. 
 
Developing Europe:   
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 
Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. 
 Africa:  
 
 North Africa:  Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.  
 Sub-Saharan Africa:  Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, 
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the 
Congo, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire , Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, 
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Keny a, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, 
Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, 
Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, 
South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 
 
Middle East:   
Bahrain, Kingdom of; Iraq; Iran; Israel; Jordan; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Kuwait; 
Lebanon; Oman; Qatar; Syrian Arab Republic; United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 
 
Developing Asia:  
 
Afghanistan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; Fiji; Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (Hong Kong, China); India; Indonesia; 
Kiribati; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Maldives; Macau, China; Malaysia; 
Micronesia, Federated States of; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Samoa; Separate Customs Territory of 
Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei); Singapore; Solomon Islands; 
Sri Lanka; Thailand; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; Viet Nam, and other countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific n.e.s. 
 WT/COMTD/W/201 
 
- 54 - 
 
  THE LEAST-DEVELOPED COUN TRIES (LDCs) include: 
 
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, 
Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, 
Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome 
and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, 
Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda , United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, 
Yemen and Zambia. 
Note: the LDCs is a sub-group of developing economies in the report. 
 
 DEVELOPED ECONOMIES include: 
 
North America (excluding Mexico for this report): 
 
Bermuda, Canada, United States of America, and territories in North America n.e.s. 
 Developed Europe:  
 
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czec h Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, 
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherland s, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, 
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Swed en, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and 
territories in Europe n.e.s. 
 
Developed Asia:  
 Australia, Japan and New Zealand. 
 
 
THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS) include:  
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, 
Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turk menistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. 
 
 
THE NICs (6) or "Six East -Asian traders" include: 
 
Hong Kong, China; the Republic of Korea;  Malaysia; Singapore; Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei); and Thailand. 
  
__________