Leading global merchandise importers 2022, by importing nation
Merchandise trade
The transformation of trade has been underway for some time. It is manifested most clearly in wider geographical participation in trade and the rise of international supply chain production. Technology, especially transport and communications, has been the main driver of global economic integration over the past two centuries. But political forces have also played a powerful role, sometimes helping to manage and cushion integrationist pressures, and at other times resisting or even reversing them.