Markets
Visualizing the World’s Biggest Exporters in 2017
Visualizing the World’s Biggest Exporters in 2017
For the first time in decades, trade barriers appear to be increasing around the world.
Brexit negotiations have helped to create an environment of uncertainty, while the introduction of American tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum – along with the resulting retaliatory measures – have created more tangible barriers to international trade.
Now, there is now even rhetoric coming from D.C. about adding tariffs to $200 billion of goods coming from China, and NAFTA renegotiations have long been on President Trump’s agenda.
The G7 meeting in Canada also gave recent indications on the state of the existing trade atmosphere. For the first time in recent memory, the meeting of Western leaders was tense, resulting in name-calling and accusations, giving the impression that the worst could be yet to come.
Who are the World’s Biggest Exporters?
As the environment around trade shifts, it’s worth noting the countries that have the biggest stakes in international trade to start with.
Both imports and exports matter, but today’s map from HowMuch.net focuses exclusively on the world’s biggest exporters. Each country is re-sized based on the latest export data from the World Trade Organization for 2017, and countries with fewer than $20 billion in exports are excluded altogether.
Here are the 10 countries with the most exports in 2017:
| Rank | Country | Exports (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | China | $2,263B |
| #2 | United States | $1,547B |
| #3 | Germany | $1,448B |
| #4 | Japan | $698B |
| #5 | Netherlands | $652B |
| #6 | South Korea | $574B |
| #7 | Hong Kong | $550B |
| #8 | France | $535B |
| #9 | Italy | $506B |
| #10 | United Kingdom | $445B |
China leads the way with $2.26 trillion in exports per year, but the country also has a sizable population of nearly 1.4 billion.
Germany, which is a massive exporter of automobiles, sends a whopping $1.45 trillion of goods abroad every year despite only having 83 million people. That’s an astounding $18,000 per person in exports.
The United States is the world’s second largest exporter in terms of absolute value. However, if you compare it on a per capita basis to a nation like Germany, it’s clear that the U.S. relies less on exports overall. The country exported $1.55 trillion in goods in 2017, about $4,800 per person.
Markets
The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
What was on investors’ minds in 2022? Discover the top Google searches and how the dominant trends played out in portfolios.
The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
It was a turbulent year for the markets in 2022, with geopolitical conflict, rising prices, and the labor market playing key roles. Which stories captured investors’ attention the most?
This infographic from New York Life Investments outlines the top Google searches related to investing in 2022, and offers a closer look at some of the trends.
Top Google Searches: Year in Review
We picked some of the top economic and investing stories that saw peak search interest in the U.S. each month, according to Google Trends.
| Month of Peak Interest | Search Term |
|---|---|
| January | Great Resignation |
| February | Russian Stock Market |
| March | Oil Price |
| April | Housing Bubble |
| May | Value Investing |
| June | Bitcoin |
| July | Recession |
| August | Inflation |
| September | US Dollar |
| October | OPEC |
| November | Layoffs |
| December | Interest Rate Forecast |
Data based on exact searches in the U.S. from December 26, 2021 to December 18, 2022.
Let’s look at each quarter in more detail, to see how these top Google searches were related to activity in the economy and investors’ portfolios.
Q1 2022
The start of the year was marked by U.S. workers quitting their jobs in record numbers, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. For instance, the price of crude oil skyrocketed after the war caused supply uncertainties. Early March’s peak of $125 per barrel was a 13-year high.
| Date | Closing Price of WTI Crude Oil (USD/Barrel) |
|---|---|
| January 2, 2022 | $76 |
| March 3, 2022 | $125 |
| December 29, 2022 | $80 |
While crude oil lost nearly all its gains by year-end, the energy sector in general performed well. In fact, the S&P 500 Energy Index gained 57% over the year compared to the S&P 500’s 19% loss.
Q2 2022
The second quarter of 2022 saw abnormal house price growth, renewed interest in value investing, and a bitcoin crash. In particular, value investing performed much better than growth investing over the course of the year.
| Index | Price Return in 2022 |
|---|---|
| S&P 500 Value Index | -7.4% |
| S&P 500 Growth Index | -30.1% |
Value stocks have typically outperformed during periods of rising rates, and 2022 was no exception.
Q3 2022
The third quarter was defined by worries about a recession and inflation, along with interest in the rising U.S. dollar. In fact, the U.S. dollar gained against nearly every major currency.
| Currency | USD Appreciation Against Currency (Dec 31 2020-Sep 30 2022) |
|---|---|
| Japanese Yen | 40.1% |
| Chinese Yuan | 9.2% |
| Euro | 25.1% |
| Canadian Dollar | 7.2% |
| British Pound | 22.0% |
| Australian Dollar | 18.1% |
Higher interest rates made the U.S. dollar more attractive to investors, since it meant they would get a higher return on their fixed income investments.
Q4 2022
The end of the year was dominated by OPEC cutting oil production, high layoffs in the tech sector, and curiosity about the future of interest rates. The Federal Reserve’s December 2022 economic projections offer clues about the trajectory of the policy rate.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Longer Run | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Projection | 4.9% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% |
| Median Projection | 5.1% | 4.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Maximum Projection | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3.3% |
The Federal Reserve expects interest rates to peak in 2023, with rates to remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels for the foreseeable future.
The Top Google Searches to Come
After a year of volatility across asset classes, economic uncertainty remains. Which themes will become investors’ top Google searches in 2023?
Find out how New York Life Investments can help you make sense of market trends.
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