Europe accounts for half of global chemical exports and more than a third of imports, but over the past two decades, structural change has lifted China and the U.S.
Since 1948, global merchandise trade has shifted decisively away from the Atlantic economies toward Asia.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are driving China’s export growth, accelerating overseas market penetration and compressing the response time available to legacy auto exporters.
Comparing total reserve buffers with import dependence reveals sharp differences in trade resilience among major economies.
Bulk mineral imports stabilised at elevated monthly values in 2024-2025, while non-bulk imports trended higher in aggregate.
The top of the global trade landscape separates into economies defined by scale and momentum.
ASEAN has almost doubled its trade since 2010 and has strengthened ties with China and the U.S., cementing the bloc’s position as an East-West trading nexus.
ASEAN’s trade has surged to nearly USD 4 trillion in 2024 while developing a uniquely balanced structure.
With Minerals & Fuels and Metals flowing out to Asia and manufactured goods flowing in, Australia’s trade profile is increasingly tied to China and Asian markets.
There are two distinct roles in the global minerals system: upstream exporters and downstream manufacturing hubs, whose demand for resources continues to rise.