G20 area's merchandise exports & imports fall by 3.5%, 3.1% in Q4 2022

Falling oil prices weighed especially heavily on merchandise trade in North America, with exports contracting by 6.7 per cent in Canada, 5.4 per cent in the US, and 3.1 per cent in Mexico in Q4 2022. Conversely, merchandise exports grew by 0.9 per cent in the European Union, as strong sales of machinery and other equipment in Italy, France, and Germany partly offset lower shipments of chemicals and other products, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a news release.

In the UK, exports fell by 1.6 per cent driven down by energy and chemicals. Chinese exports and imports declined by 7.1 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively, as strict COVID-19 containment measures weighed on trade. Weak demand from China placed further strain on trade in East Asia. Korean exports dropped by 8.3 per cent, while Japanese exports declined by 1.4 per cent. Exports from South Africa (down 9.7 per cent), Indonesia (down 7.4 per cent), and Saudi Arabia (down 14.5 per cent) also took a hit.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (NB)