theglobaljournal.net: Latest activities of group The Numbers

Global Military Spending Has Exploded Over the Past Decade

2011-05-07T20:02:40Z

World military spending reached $1.6 trillion in 2010, an increase of 1.3 per cent in real terms.* This increase looks more like a decline when compared with the average annual growth rate of 5.1 percent during 2001- 2009. Indeed, the effects of the 2008 economic crisis show up for the first time in the 2010 figures as slightly lower rates of increase or even as decreased spending in the case of France, down by 8.4 percent; India, by 2.8 percent; Russia, by 1.4; and the UK, by 0.8 percent.

“We see a mixed picture,” says Sam Perlo-Freeman, Head of the SIPRI Military Expenditure Project. “European governments have cut military spending by 2.8 percent to address budget deficits, while South America has increased by 5.8 percent in spite of the lack of military threats to most of those countries.”

To read the interview, order a copy of the magazine

Already the Biggest Exporter, China to Become the Biggest Importer in Early 2012.

2011-05-07T20:02:33Z

The world took notice in 2009 when China officially became the biggest exporter. But Don Brasher, CEO of Global Trade Information Services (GTIS), thinks that what is about to happen next is even bigger news.

“Probably by the end of 2011 and certainly in early 2012, China will become the world’s biggest importer,” he says. “And, if China is the biggest importer, how much longer will it be before the price of oil and other commodities are set in Renminbi, not US dollars?”

Just-released data compiled by GTIS clearly shows China’s imports rising vertically, with the US, Japan and the major European economies following a flattened trend. “China is the engine of global markets as an importer and no longer as an exporter alone,” Brasher says.

Although GTIS data shows that China already leads imports in a number of commodities, he believes that China’s current growth trends are unsustainable. “It is unrealistic to think that China can continue to grow this fast,” he says. So, China’s current imports of coal and iron ore, for example, are unlikely to continue at current levels.

To read the full report, order a copy of the magazine.

The top 10 economies, their imports, exports and trade balance stats for 2008, 2009 & 2010

2011-02-26T01:15:43Z

Like a photograph, numbers can also be worth a thousand words. With little need for lengthy comment, they have a way of bringing us back to reality. In this case, we are talking not percentages, but real values in U.S. $ billion. The Global Journal’s new “Numbers” section is produced in partnership with Global Trade Information Services Inc., the leading supplier of international merchandise trade data. Corporations, governments, large international banks, hedge funds and commodity trading companies in more than 50 countries use their trade data system to develop an enhanced understanding of global trade information. With offi ces in Beijing, Columbia, S.C. (USA), Geneva, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C., GTI currently publishes monthly offi cial government trade statistics that represent nearly 100 percent of total world trade. These fi gures are like a compass reminding us of the true north of international trade.

The last three years have been particularly sensitive for international trade. Certainties have fallen. Other evidence has appeared. China has roared into the export lead; with Hong Kong and South Korea they are the only countries among the Top 10 to have already exceeded their 2008 exports results, in the first nine months of 2010. Among others not included in the Top 10, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia also exported more in 2010 compared to 2008. To call that a re-bound is an understatement. In the Franco-German couple, it is clear who rules the euro zone, for France has had disappointing results compared to the strong German recovery. The United Kingdom is doing better than the euro-zone countries: UK euro-stat is +15% and UK HMRC is +18%. Russia has still not reach the Top 10 with a 14th during the fi rst nine months of 2010. India is still far away too.

On the import side, China is also experiencing strong growth again: in 2008, its imports were 50% of those of the U.S.; in the fi rst ten months of 2010, they were at 72%. But this time, China is in splendid isolation in having performed better than before the crisis.

On the Trade Balance side, China and Germany are contesting the benefi ts of international trade. Norway improved from 2009 to 2010 with a +7% showing strong resistance. Nigeria and Russia are more volatile and still largely positive. The United States remains at the bottom of the class. Europe is saved by Germany’s good showing.

At the end of these three years, China shows that it is the ‘economy of the moment’. China has not only survived, it has accelerated, followed by the United States, still competitive, and battling Germany. The road is now open for the Chinese currency to become a reserve currency. Europe, if it existed on a more political level, might pull ahead of China, but is this what the EU wants ?

Valued in US $ billion // 2008–2009: Calendar Year // *2010: YTD September 2010

theglobaljournal.net: Latest activities of group The Numbers

Global Military Spending Has Exploded Over the Past Decade

Already the Biggest Exporter, China to Become the Biggest Importer in Early 2012.

The top 10 economies, their imports, exports and trade balance stats for 2008, 2009 & 2010

Global Trade Imports

Global Trade exports

Trade balance