Gets interesting around 1995.
https://old.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/oz70a4/the_worlds_largest_exporters/
The next ten years will be interesting as China's population matures. I always find Germany's and Japan's manufacturing impressive considering their sizes and lack of natural resources.
It's also interesting if you look at Saudi Arabia.
In 1980 when SA had 120bn in exports, it makes the list, but by 2011 when it's close to 400bn, it's not even close. At first the absence of SA (I didn't see it on the chart at all the first time through) made me question the data. But actually, despite the massive boom in revenues for SA around 2010-2012, the world had boomed much more
https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/saudi-arabia/total-exports
I also wonder what that chart will look like if someone updates it for 2020. I think it's the same animation that's been going around since 2019.
Also, it's staggering that as late as 1997, tiny Belgium and massive China were neck and neck. It takes until 2001 for China to overtake the Netherlands.
It's one of those things, like looking up when the iPhone came out (2008) or 114 degrees in Oregon or something that makes you realize how recent the world as we know it is.
Am I right thinking the US falls back because of oil and gas in the last few years?
Ans No, started looking it up and realised how little I understand of how this is measured. (and what it is)
Here is a different measure.....
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/exports
it shows not drop in US exports in the last few years.
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/ranking/exports
The comments are interesting sometimes:
QuoteYou are right. When Chinese parts are shipped to a German manufacturer via the port of Rotterdam, this accounts as a Dutch export to Germany too
>>Rotterdam
Ah! Thanks for the explanations. That makes more sense.