_The Cultural Trade Index_ Page | **9** of **14**

explain why the Chinese are keen at buying pianos once they are able to do so. It may also be a sign of status.

|**Box 2 | Top Pi**<br>**Country**|**ano Exporters**<br>Exports in<br>US Dollars|**in 2014 by Cou**<br>Share in<br>World Piano<br>Exports|**ntry**<br>Country size|Normalized<br>Share<sup>a</sup>|Rank|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Vietnam**|13390000|0.021686599|1|0.021687|1|
|**Hong Kong**<br>**SAR, China**|15331000|0.024830265|1.56403074|0.015876|2|
|**Singapore**|14102000|0.022839762|1.645202758|0.013883|3|
|**Malaysia**|13778000|0.022315008|1.815764628|0.01229|4|
|**Switzerland**|21197000|0.034330906|3.764874427|0.009119|5|
|**Canada**|30416000|0.049262105|9.579651007|0.005142|6|
|**Australia**|23760000|0.03848197|7.812240225|0.004926|7|
|**Germany**|60176000|0.097461745|20.77440693|0.004691|8|
|**China**|150625000|0.24395399|55.58997372|0.004388|9|
|**France**|35777000|0.057944843|15.19399217|0.003814|10|
|**Korea, Rep.**|15438000|0.025003563|7.579477226|0.003299|11|
|**Russian**|20962000|0.033950297|10.90720634|0.003113|12|
|**Federation**||||||
|**United**<br>**Kingdom**|27118000|0.043920626|16.05868266|0.002735|13|
|**United**|134090000|0.217173713|93.16669174|0.002331|14|
|**States**||||||
|**Italy**|13604000|0.022033196|11.48489512|0.001918|15|
|**Japan**|27668000|0.044811412|24.6833604|0.001815|16|
|**Total**<br>aShare normali|**617,432,000**<br>zed with countr|1<br>y size.|-|-|-|

At any rate, Box 2 provides another way to look at this. Here, the share of each country’s piano exports is computed by the total piano exports in this sample (column three).<sup>16</sup> An indicator of the country’s relative size (column four) is then used to normalize this share. The result in column five is the rank.

Deriving the relative **<mark>Germany</mark>** <mark>60176000 0.097461745 20.77440693 0.004691</mark> size of a country can be an **China** 150625000 0.24395399 55.58997372 0.004388 issue, and common choices **<mark>France</mark>** <mark>35777000 0.057944843 15.19399217 0.003814</mark> are GDP or population. All **Korea, Rep.** 15438000 0.025003563 7.579477226 0.003299 the same, this “index” is **Russian** 20962000 0.033950297 10.90720634 0.003113 constructed by dividing each **<u>Federation</u>** country’s GDP by that of a **United** 27118000 0.043920626 16.05868266 0.002735 reference country. (The **<u>Kingdom</u>** purpose is to have a relative **United** 134090000 0.217173713 93.16669174 0.002331 **<u>States</u>** size that does not have a unit, **Italy** 13604000 0.022033196 11.48489512 0.001918 but this is not necessary.) **<mark>Japan</mark>** <mark>27668000 0.044811412 24.6833604 0.001815</mark> Here Vietnam is the reference — it does not **Total 617,432,000** 1 - - matter which country is aShare normalized with country size. chosen; the ranking will <u>Source: WDI 2014 GDP (US$)/Workman 2015/Kemoe and Aymele 2016</u> remain unchanged — so Vietnam’s relative size is one. Using this method, the ranking is totally different from Box 1 (where each country was ranked based on its piano export earnings). In Box 2 Vietnam, which was number 16, is now number one, and China, which was leading is now number nine.

But more immediately, as cultural statistics get improved, it would be helpful to know, which country leads in the exportation of traditional instruments like drums. Is it Senegal or Mali? How about the ukulele? Is it Zimbabwe or Brazil? Even more important, what is the contribution of such sectors, to the employment of women, the young and the old formally and informally? In an attempt to consider how cultural commerce might better contribute to sustainable development, such questions deserve attention.<sup>17</sup> Also, since the issue of measuring the quality of life is

> 16 (I) The figures in column 3 are achieved by dividing the country’s piano exports figures by the total (piano exports) of the 16 countries provided (bottom of column one). E.g. for Vietnam, $13,390,000 ÷ 617,432,000 = 0.021686599. (II) The country size is calculated by dividing the country’s 2014 GDP with that of a reference county (in this case, Vietnam’s 2014 GDP). E.g. Vietnam’s 2014 GDP ($186.205 billion÷$186.205 billion) = 1, Honk Kong SAR, China ($291.23bn ÷$186.205 billion) = ~ 1.56403, etc. (III) The normalized share, which provides the rank, is the result of Step 1divided by Step II. E.g. for Hong Kong SAR, China 0.02483÷1.56403, = ~ 0.0158756, etc. (NB: The Excel GDP/Country size rounding might differ from that of a calculator, as is in this case.)

> 17 Regarding the creative sector’s contribution to green development see Throsby 2010, p. 29, for example.