What does trade data tell us?
When goods move between countries, they form a network of economic relationships. WorldTradePulse helps you explore that network: who reports trading, which partners are involved, which products are traded, and how patterns change over time.
Start with a question: Who does a country trade with most? Then check the year, whether you are looking at imports or exports, and whether the data is available.
Where does the data come from?
WorldTradePulse draws on UN Comtrade, a source of internationally reported merchandise trade statistics. Reporting countries supply their trade figures; coverage and reporting practices can differ.
Reading a trade record
- Reporter: the country whose published trade figures you are viewing.
- Partner: the country on the other side of the recorded trade relationship.
- Flow: imports or exports, from the reporter's perspective.
- Period: the year to which the record relates.
- Product: a category in the Harmonized System (HS).
- Value: the reported monetary value of that trade.
Coverage and missing data
WorldTradePulse currently ingests annual HS two-digit merchandise trade data for 2014–2024. Country-year coverage varies and ingestion continues. A missing record is not evidence of zero trade. An explicitly empty API response is also different from a verified economic zero.
Check the app's data coverage information before interpreting gaps or comparing countries.
Your first five minutes
- Open the WorldTradePulse map and select a country.
- Choose imports or exports and confirm the analysis period.
- Identify the largest partner relationships.
- Look at the trend across available years.
- Read any gaps or limitations before drawing a conclusion.