Financial Crisis Increased ICT Exports From Asia

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released data today that show Asian economies increased their share of global exports of information and communication technology (ICT) goods in 2009 over the previous year. This means the global financial crisis further shifted trade in these goods toward Asia, UNCTAD said.

Now more than one-third of world ICT goods exports originate in China and Hong Kong, it said. Exports dropped in Europe (particularly Portugal, Finland and Ireland), while leaping upward in India (which also dramatically increased its ICT imports), and rising in Malaysia and elsewhere.

“Global ICT exports, which represented 12 per cent of world merchandise trade in 2009, are increasingly dominated by Asia,” UNCTAD said. “Seven of the top ten exporters are Asian economies. China is by far the largest, with ICT goods exports amounting to $356 billion in 2009, followed by Hong Kong (China) ($142 billion), and the United States ($113 billion).”

The top importers globally were the United States, China and Hong Kong.

ICT exports represented 12 percent of world merchandise trade in 2009.

Data available here.