On 8 April 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released its forecast for world trade in 2020, announcing that it expected a fall in volume of between 13% and 32%. Both the magnitude of the fall and the width of the forecasting range speak volumes about the violent blow the crisis dealt to international trade and about the uncertainty surrounding ensuing consequences. They reflect the deeply disruptive economic impacts of lockdown measures taken to counter the pandemic. Since these measures should be short-lived, part of their impact is temporary, and it is reasonable to expect that their removal will bring significant economic relief. Yet, this crisis will create lasting changes in the trade landscape and serious threats to the rules-based trading system, warranting a reconsideration of trade policy priorities in important respects.

Richly illustrated and evidence based analysis are part of the CEPII's trademark. To enhance their transparency and facilitate their use, from now on, each CEPII's publication will be appended with a spreadsheet file featuring datasets used to illustrate the publication. Please check here the first example. Please feel free to access and download, as well as all databases available on our website and Country Profiles which present the insertion of 80 economies in world trade.