July 23, 2021

World Trade Monitor May 2021

World trade volume is 0.3% lower in May compared with April. Imports increased in the eurozone (+1.3%), other advanced economies (+2.2%) and Latin America (+1.2%); while they contracted in Japan (-3.1%), other advanced Asia (-2.6%) and emerging Asia excluding China (-6.0%). Imports were roughly stable in China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Exports increased in the United Kingdom (+7.8%), the eurozone (+1.9%), and advanced Asia excluding Japan (1.6%); but contracted in China (-3.7%), other emerging Asia (-7.1%) and the United States (-1.9%). The momentum of world trade stands at 3.1%. Industrial production decreased Month-on-Month with 1.1%, mostly driven by Japan (-6.5%), China (-1.6%) and other emerging economies (-4.0%), while the momentum is 0.3%.

Developments in global international trade and industrial production May 2021:

World trade volume decreased 0.3% month-on-month (growth was -0.1% in April, initial estimate 0.5%).
World trade momentum was 3.1% (non-annualised; 3.1% in April, unchanged from initial estimate).
World industrial production decreased 1.1% month-on-month (having increased 0.0% in April, initial estimate 0.2%).
World industrial production momentum was 0.3% (non-annualised; 1.6% in April, initial estimate 1.8%).

The next release of the CPB World Trade Monitor is scheduled for 25 August 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').

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 (CPB Data).

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