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Dec
2011

Intermediate goods dominate intraregional trade in developing Asia

The increase in intraregional trade largely derives from intermediate goods—which have accounted for about 70% of intraregional exports over the past decade. Intraregional exports of final goods have increased, albeit only slightly, reaching nearly 13% in 2010 from around 10% in 2000. However, none of the subregions exceeds 5%, suggesting that most of the final goods trade is between subregions. Final goods exports across subregions has increased markedly in recent years, with the boost much more pronounced in the Pacific, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.



Note: Final goods include capital and consumption goods, while intermediate goods include primary goods, parts and components, and processed goods for industry. Data are based on the Broad Economic Categories classification. Developing Asia excludes Taipei,China as data unavailable.
1Percentage of region’s intraregional exports to total exports to the world. Refer to ADB website for subregional definitions.
2Percentage of subregional exports to the rest of developing Asia to total exports to the world. Source: ADB calculations using data from UN COMTRADE database.
The views expressed in this blog post are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ARIC, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ARIC does not guarantee the accuracy of the information and data included in this blog post and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with official ADB terms.

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