International trade

Data insights

International trade is the backbone of the global economy, facilitating the exchange of goods, services and ideas across borders. It fosters economic growth, enhances productivity and drives innovation. This collection of thematic insights delves into key aspects of international trade, offering a deeper understanding of its diverse components.

The world’s largest bilateral merchandise trade flow is from Mexico the the United States

Main bilateral merchandise imports, billions of dollars, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

Economies with one bilateral import higher than $150 billion are shown in the default selection.

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In 2025, the world’s most intensive international merchandise trade was observed for the United States of America and China with their respective neighboring economies. The United States imported goods worth $931 billion from Mexico and Canada, of which $539 billion from Mexico, while imports of the two economies from the United States totaled $512 billion. China imported goods worth $894 billion from Taiwan Province of China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Viet Nam, Hong Kong (China) and Macao (China), and the imports that these economies received from China amounted to $957 billion. 

Looking at the exchange of goods between these world’s largest traders, the United States’ imports from China came to $327 billion and China’s imports from the United States to $137 billion.

Data updated on 8 Jul 2026

Europe and Asia see the most intra-regional trade

Intra- and extra-regional exports, percentage of total exports, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

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Intra-regional trade was most pronounced in Europe and Asia. In 2025, 67% of all European exports went to trading partners in Europe. In Asia, this rate reached 63%. By contrast, in Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Northern America, the main trade partners were extra-regional representing between 73 and 95% of their total exports.

Data updated on 8 Jul 2026

In 2025, developing economies’ main markets were the United States of America and China

Developing economies’ main export destinations, billions of dollars, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

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In 2025, developing economies shipped most of their exports to the United States of America ($1.7 trillion), followed by China ($1.4 trillion). Exports from American developing economies were mainly oriented towards the United States of America ($683 billion). China came second ($206 billion) at some distance. By contrast, for African developing economies, the main export market was China ($86 billion), with the United Arab Emirates ($51 billion), Italy ($36 billion) and France ($34 billion) representing other main destinations.

Data updated on 8 Jul 2026

In 2025, South-South trade was $7.2 trillion, marking a significant increase on 2024

Global merchandise trade exports in value, percentage

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat.

North refers to developed economies, South to developing economies. Trade is measured from the export side. Deliveries to ship stores and bunkers as well as minor and special-category exports with unspecified destination are not included.

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In 2025, goods worth $9.8 trillion were exchanged between developed economies (North-North trade), whereas merchandise trade among developing economies (South-South trade) amounted to $7.2 trillion – 17.2% more than in 2024. Exports from developed to developing economies and vice-versa (North-South trade) totaled $8.9 trillion. This shows, developed economies traded slightly less with developing economies than within their own group. Over time, South-South trade has increased its share in global merchandise trade from 11% in 2000 to 28% in 2025.

Data updated on 8 Jul 2026

Metadata

Intra-trade is the trade between economies belonging to the same group. Extra-trade is the trade of economies of the same group with all economies outside the group. It represents the difference between a group’s total trade and intra-trade. 

The exports from an economy A to an economy B, recorded FOB, do not exactly equal the imports of economy B from economy A, recorded CIF. The reasons for these trade asymmetries include: a conceptual difference between exporting economy and country of origin; different times of recording for exports and imports; different treatment of transit trade; underreporting; measurement errors; mispricing and mis-invoicing. 

The exports to (imports from) all economies of the world do not always exactly add up to total exports (imports). The difference is caused by ship stores, bunkers and other exports of minor importance.

Full metadata are available in our Data Centre for the Merchandise trade matrix.

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