June 23, 2023

World Trade Monitor April 2023

World merchandise trade decreased with 1.4% in April compared to the previous month, following an increase of 1.9% in March compared to February. This is evident from the monthly CPB World Trade Monitor. Most noteworthy is the increase in imports of the eurozone (+2.3%), the United States (+1.8%), Japan (+2.7%) and other advanced economies (+1.9%). The exports of the eurozone and the United States declined however, with respectively -2.0% and -5.2%. Emerging economies show predominantly declining trade figures. The imports of China have declined with -1.8%, and the exports with -6.4%, while the imports and exports of other emerging Asia declined with -5.5% and -6.8%.

Developments in global international trade and industrial production April 2023

  • World trade volume decreased 1.4% month-on-month (growth was 1.9% in March, initial estimate 1.5%).
  • World trade momentum was 0.0% (non-annualised; -0.7% in March, initial estimate -0.9%).
  • World industrial production decreased 1.4% month-on-month (having decreased 0.1% in March, unchanged from initial estimate).
  • World industrial production momentum was 0.7% (non-annualised; 1.1% in March, unchanged from initial estimate).

The next release of the CPB World Trade Monitor is scheduled for Tuesday 25 July 2023, 12:00 hours, including reporting month May 2023.

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 2023)'. 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').

If you want to receive an email alert every time CPB publishes its update of the world trade monitor, please subscribe to our alert service on this page ('Publications for policymakers').

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

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