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home > the wto > ministerials > seattle > about the ministerial > briefing note


The meeting is at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center


SEE ALSO:
> Director-General’s message
> Background
> Built-in Agenda
> The WTO agreements and developing countries
> Least-developed countries
> Agriculture (1)
> Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures
> Services
> Intellectual property (TRIPS)
> Textiles and clothing
> Information technology products
> Trade and environment
> Trade and investment
> Trade facilitation
> Trade and competition policy
> Transparency in government procurement
> Trade and labour standards
> Disputes (1)
> Disputes (2)
> Electronic commerce
> Members and accessions
> Some facts and figures
> Glossary of terms

AND:
> Other ministerial meetings
AGRICULTURE (2)
Some agricultural trade statistics
  • An outline of the WTO’s Agriculture Agreement can be found in the section on agriculture in “Understanding the WTO”
    (pages 17–19 in the printed version, or     here on the WTO website).
  • Return to Part 1, the agricultural issues
  • See also: some stats for Seattle

On this page: World agricultural trade, top 15 traders, agriculture’s share

World trade in agricultural products, 1998  back to top

Value $bn 553
Annual change %
1980–85 -2
1985–90 9
1990–98 4
1996 3
1997 -2
1998 -5
Share in world merchandise trade % 10.5
Share in world exports of primary products % 52.4

Source: WTO Annual Report 1999, table IV.3, includes intra-EU trade
 

Top 15 agricultural exporters and importers, 1998  back to top

Value
$bn		 Share in world
%		 Value
$bn		 Share in world
%
Exporters Importers
United States 69.85 12.6 United States 62.40 10.6
France 41.06 7.4 Japan 56.59 9.6
Netherlands 34.74 6.3 Germany 48.89 8.3
Canada 30.02 5.4 United Kingdom 35.29 6.0
Germany 29.64 5.4 France 33.18 5.6
Belgium-Luxembourg 20.53 3.7 Italy 32.06 5.4
United Kingdom 19.49 3.5 Netherlands 21.22 3.6
Spain 17.47 3.2 Belgium-Luxembourg 20.45 3.5
Italy 17.08 3.1 Spain 18.12 3.1
Brazil 17.07 3.1 Russian Fed. a 14.50 2.5
Australia 14.97 2.7 Canada b 13.99 2.4
China 14.31 2.6 Hong Kong, China 12.70 -
Argentina 13.51 2.4 retained imports 6.92 1.2
Denmark 12.12 2.2 China 12.61 2.1
Thailand 11.46 2.1 Mexico b 9.57 1.6
Korea, Rep. of 9.31 1.6
Above 15 363.30 65.7 Above 15 395.08 66.9

Source: WTO Annual Report 1999 table IV.7, includes intra-EU trade
a Includes WTO Secretariat estimates. b Imports are valued f.o.b.
 

Agricultural products’ share in trade, by region, 1998  back to top

Share in total
merchandise trade, %		 Exports Imports Share in
primary products trade, %		 Exports Imports
World 10.5 10.5 World 52.4 52.4
North America 11.1 6.6 North America 65.8 43.7
Latin America 23.8 10.8 Latin America 56.5 59.4
Western Europe 10.1 11.3 Western Europe 66.1 58.3
C./E. Europe/Baltic States/CIS 11.7 13.2 C./E. Europe/Baltic States/CIS 29.7 49.8
Africa 19.5 17.0 Africa 31.8 67.5
Middle East 4.3 13.1 Middle East 6.1 70.5
Asia 7.7 11.3 Asia 54.4 44.7

Source: WTO Annual Report 1999, table IV.5, includes intra-EU trade
 

> Return to Part 1, the agricultural issues


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