The Global Merchandise Trade of the Blue Economy ( 2012 to 2017)

Abstract

The Blue economy, relating to the exploitation and preservation of the marine environment, has an associated merchandise trade in Fish and Fish products, as well as in Ships, Boats, and other Floating structures. The marine environment, in the form of rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans, exists globally, so does the Blue economy associated merchandise trade. With the increasing interconnectedness of the economies of the world (due to the impact of globalization) and specifically as a result of global trade, it is necessary to understand what the values and extents of the merchandise trade of the Blue economy is. To determine the value and global reach of the merchandise trade of the Blue economy, data from the world’s most extensive repository of global trade and development information, which is the statistics database of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), was obtained and analyzed. The data included trade data for each of the product groups of Fish, Fish products, and Blue economy associated manufactured goods; and continent and country specific trade data pertaining to the Blue economy trade. The analysis showed that the Blue economy merchandise trade was global, with substantial monetary values involved in both Exports and Imports of the associated merchandise on every continent. All but one of the continents were shown to be net Importers of Blue economy merchandise goods. The other was shown to be a net Exporter of Blue economy merchandise goods. The availability and accessibility of the requisite data used in the analysis of the global Blue economy merchandise trade, and the success at achieving the desired results, shows that similar analyses can be conducted pertaining to (for instance) individual products or product groups; for economies or groups of economies (such as trade associations); where ever in the world the economies or groups of economies may be.