Map of world trade.

 

The trade is of growing importance in the global economic context, because the portion of production goes to foreign markets has been increasing steadily. In the past 50 years the physical volume of global production grew 8 times while the volume of exports increased 25 times (in value 150 times.) One consequence of this phenomenon is the increasing interdependence of economies and the need to incorporate an international perspective in household decisions. Hence the importance of highlighting some of the characteristics presented by global trade.