Excellent data for trading patterns

Some fantastic data from the World Trade Organisation for teaching students about world trading patterns and getting them to analyse some fairly up-to-date data…

Over the weekend I was planning out a couple of lessons for A2 Macro on the topic of trading patterns and, whilst hunting around the web for some stats to use, came across the World Trade Organisation’s ‘International Trade Statistics’. They’ve also helpfully separated these out into different parts so you don’t have to trawl through the whole document. Below I’ve included links to the three PDF files I found particularly useful and which I have/will be using in lessons:

1.) World & Regional Export Data: For this I split the students up into groups and each one had to analyse a different region’s key data and then present back to the rest of the class what they had found out, focusing on these key questions:
- Who are the main export customers?
- What are the main products exported?
- How has trade changed between 2000 and 2009?

2.) Useful world trade maps: I particularly like the last one which I used as an interesting intro to a debate about the link between trade and prosperity, how the developed world are those most involved in international trade, and whether there is a correlation between levels of trade and economic prosperity.

3.) Highlights of the full report: I’ve printed these out (if you set the printer up right you can print pages 3-6 onto one double-sided piece of A4 to make a small booklet) and am planning on having a discussion of what they are telling us and what their implications might be next lesson.