June 25, 2021

World Trade Monitor April 2021

World trade volume is 0.5% higher in April compared to March. Exports increased mainly in China (+3.8%), other emerging Asia (+4.5%), and Japan (+2.5%), while exports in other developed Asia and Latin America contracted (-4.4%; -3.2% respectively). Imports also rose sharply in China (+4.6%), Japan (+9.1%), other developed Asia (+3.6%), while Latin America shows a contraction of 8.5% in imports. Trade in the US and the Eurozone hasn't changed much. The momentum of world trade is 3.1%, with China and other emerging Asia as positive outliers. Global industrial production increased 0.2% in April compared to March, and the momentum stands at 1.8%, mainly driven by growth in China, Japan and other developed Asia.

Developments in global international trade and industrial production April 2021:

World trade volume increased 0.5% month-on-month (growth was 2.3% in March, initial estimate 2.2%).
World trade momentum was 3.1% (non-annualised; 3.4% in March, initial estimate 3.5%).
World industrial production increased 0.2% month-on-month (having increased 0.2% in March, initial estimate 0.3%).
World industrial production momentum was 1.8% (non-annualised; 3.1% in March, initial estimate 2.7%).

The next release of the CPB World Trade Monitor is scheduled for 23 July 2021, 12:00 hours.

CPB publishes a World Trade Monitor every month on behalf of the European Commission. It takes two months for the figures to become available. For questions please contact wtm@cpb.nl.

Read also the CPB Background Document 'The CPB World Trade Monitor: technical description (update 2020)'. In September 2016 (starting with the July 2016 monitor) the WTM base year has been moved from 2005 to 2010. Clarification of the procedure and its outcomes is given in the downloadable appendix (CPB Memo 'Change of base year WTM').

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The World Trade Monitor is partially financed by DG ECFIN (Directorate General of Economic and Monetary Affairs of the Economic Commission).