International Trade Data & Analysis

Trade among nations has been an integral part of global business operations for centuries. Because the resources of the world are not distributed equally, it is mutually advantageous for countries to trade resources that they possess in abundance for resources that may be scarce. Although world production would dramatically increase if nations concentrated on producing only goods for which they possessed ample resources, it has traditionally been a goal of nations to become as self-sufficient as possible and to have a minimal reliance on trade. Nations are usually reluctant to specialize in their production because they do not want to be cut off from essential goods in times of war and other crises. The links included herein relate to international trade data and analysis.