PARTICIPATION OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES IN THE
GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM
NOTE BY
THE SECRETARIAT[1]
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
1
Executive Summary. 3
2 Merchandise trade. 4
2.1
Overview. 4
2.2
Major traders. 6
2.3
Long-term comparison. 8
2.4
Merchandise trade by product category. 9
2.5
Major trading partners. 12
2.6
South-South trade. 13
3 Commercial services trade. 14
3.1
Overview. 14
3.2
Major traders. 14
3.3
Commercial services trade by sector 16
3.4
Major trading partners. 18
3.5
South-South trade. 18
4 Export Diversification.. 19
4.1
Split between merchandise exports and commercial services exports. 19
4.2
Market diversification of merchandise exports. 20
4.3
Diversification of merchandise products. 22
4.4
Market diversification of commercial services exports. 23
4.5
Diversification of commercial services categories. 24
5 Annex. 26
5.1
Merchandise exports of developing economies and regions, 2022‑2024. 26
5.2
Merchandise imports of developing economies and regions, 2022‑2024. 29
5.3
Commercial services exports of developing economies and regions, 2022‑2024. 32
5.4
Commercial services imports of developing economies and regions, 2022‑2024. 35
5.5
Composition of reporter and partner groups. 39
Table of Charts
Chart 1: Merchandise trade
developments over recent years, in volume. 4
Chart 2: Drivers of developing economies' merchandise trade,
in volume. 5
Chart 3: Merchandise trade developments over recent years. 6
Chart 4: Major developing
economies' merchandise traders. 7
Chart 5: Changes in merchandise trade, by economy. 8
Chart 6: Developing economies' merchandise exports, 2023-24
compared to 2014-15 9
Chart 7: Developing economies' main merchandise exports, by
product category. 10
Chart 8: Developing economies' main merchandise imports, by
product category. 11
Chart 9: Developing economies' main merchandise exports, by
product category and exporter 12
Chart 10: Major destinations for developing economies'
merchandise exports. 13
Chart 11: Merchandise South-South trade in comparison. 13
Chart 12: Commercial services trade developments over recent
years. 14
Chart 13: Major developing economies' commercial services
traders. 15
Chart 14: Changes in commercial services trade, by economy. 16
Chart 15: Main categories of developing economies' commercial
services exports. 17
Chart 16: Examples of most dynamic parts of commercial
services exports. 17
Chart 17: Major destinations for developing economies'
commercial services exports. 18
Chart 18: Commercial services South-South trade in comparison. 19
Chart 19: Share of commercial services exports in total
exports by region. 20
Chart 20: Number of merchandise export destinations over
time, individual economies by region and regional averages. 21
Chart 21: Comparison of metrics for merchandise export market
diversification. 22
Chart 22: Number of exported merchandise products. 22
Chart 23: Number of commercial services export destinations
over time, individual economies by region and regional averages. 23
Chart 24: Comparison of metrics for commercial services
export market diversification. 24
Chart 25: Concentration of commercial services categories
using the example of digitally delivered services. 25
[1] This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own
responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or to their
rights and obligations under the WTO.