Trade in the Atlantic Basin, 2000-2012: a panoramic view

This article offers a descriptive analysis of the goods trade in the Atlantic, and provides the following data: the largest trade volume can be found in the North Atlantic and the Americas, albeit with slower growth; Africa and South America trade mainly with the North, but with a tendency towards diversification; Europe depends less on Atlantic trade than other regions, South America being the most dependent of these; Africa mainly trades with extra-regional partners; the Atlantic’s role in world trade is diminishing owing to the rise of Asia (China); exports can be divided into those from the North (products with greater added value) and the South (raw materials); imports are dominated by automobiles and oil; the main challenge is the economic crisis in Europe; with the Doha round having stalled, the Atlantic free trade agreements under negotiation (Canada-EU; TTIP) are gaining importance, with the aim of boosting the flow of goods, which represents one of the largest in the world.

Key words: Atlantic, goods trade; intraregional trade; Atlantic Basin; exports

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