PRESS RELEASE 
 
PRESS/604 
2 June 2010 
(10-3067) 
TRADE STATISTICS 2010 
First quarter of 2010 sees tr ade value rise by about 25% 
The value of world merchandise trade was around 25% higher in the first three months of 2010 
than in the same period of 2009, according to WTO figures released on 2 June 2010. Global 
exports rose by 27%, while imports rose slightly less, at 24%. These are “year-on-year” quarterly 
comparisons.  
In comparison with the last quarter of 2009 (“quarter on quarter”), the figures show a slight 
decrease
1. 
 
Technically, these data refer to “current” US do llars, ie, they are not adjusted for inflation. 
Therefore, they cannot  be compared with the annual trade growth figures headlined in the 
26 March 2010 press release ( http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres10_e/pr598_e.htm ). These 
headline figure use “constant” dollars, with inflation taken into account.  
 
Chart 1: World merchandise exports, first quarter 2007 to first quarter 2010 
Indices, first quarter 2005=100 
020406080100120140160180200
07Q1
08Q109Q1
10Q1 020406080100120140160180200
07Q1
08Q109Q1
10Q1 
                                               
1 WTO short-term merchandise trade values are not seasonally adjusted. Seasonal patterns therefore 
considerably affect the quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) and month on month (M-o-M) developments in 
world trade, and this in turn affects comparison s between the trade developments in individual 
regions and economies. 
 PRESS/604 
Page 2 of 3 
 
 Available monthly statistics for about 70 economie s representing about 90% of world trade show 
that merchandise trade declined in January and February 2010, then rose sharply in March. 
Chart 2: Monthly merchandise trade, aggregate of 70 economies 
Indices, January 2008=100 
60708090100110120130
Jan08
Mar
Sept
Jan09
Mar
Sept
Jan10
MarExports
Imports
 
Overview of regional trade flows 
Fuelled by Asia’s demand and commodity prices , exports of Africa, the Middle East and the 
Commonwealth of Independent States were more than 50% higher than in the corresponding 
period of 2009. 
Table 1: World merchandise trade by region and selected economies, Jan-Mar, 
2010 
Percentage change in current US dollar s, year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter 
Exports      Imports  
Y-o-Y Q-o-Q     Y-o-Y Q-o-Q 
27 -3   World (a) 24 -2 
23 1   North America 22 -1 
20 1    United States 21 -2 
24 4    Canada 22 1 
28 -1   South and Central America 19 -1 
26 -5    Brazil 36 4 
18 -5   Europe 16 -3 
18 -5    European Union (27) (b) 16 -3 
16 -4      intra EU 16 -4 
22 -7      extra EU 16 -1 
54 -6   Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) 13 -24 
62 -3    Russian Federation 18 -25 
53 2   Africa and the Middle East 9 -7 
34 -4   Asia (a) 45 1 
29 -11    China 65 3 
33 13    India 55 3 
48 1    Japan 23 2 
39 0   Six East Asian traders (c) 48 4 
a Includes significant re-expor ts or imports for re-exports. 
b “Intra EU” is trade within the EU; “extra EU” is trade between the EU and non-EU economies. 
c Hong Kong, China (excluding re-export trade), Republic  of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taipei, Chinese, and 
Thailand. 
 PRESS/604 
Page 3 of 3 
 
 
Chart 3: Commodity price deve lopments, first quarter 2010 
Percentage change 
0 2 04 06 08 0All primary commoditiesFood and beveragesMetalsEnergyCrude petroleum
yoy
qoq
 
Source: IMF 
 
 
More data are available on the WTO website’s “short-term merchandise trade statistics” page: 
http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/st atis_e/quarterly_ world_exp_e.htm . 
 
 
 
END