TRADE STATISTICS IN ASIA

Abstract

By Asian countries we mean here countries between the Republic of Korea in the east and Pakistan in the west. In a general way we regard t~ese countries as falling under one and the same category. However, each country has characteristics of its own so that certain reservations are necessary in order to treat these countries as a whole. It can be said that many ofthem are situated near the equator, or in the tropical or subtropical areas north of it, and that the peoples inhabiting these countries are neither Caucasians nor Negroes. Further, many of them were colonies of Western countries from the 18th century or earlier and were liberated and became independent after~ World War II. Viewed from the standpoint of industrial structure, they were mostly monocultural, sending their products to the United States, European countries, and Japan and depending on irnports for the supply of their foodstuffs, daily necessities and machinery. However, after World War 11 and the attainment of independence, these countries have followed a national policy of industrialization and of increasing self-sufficiency in the supply of industrial products. This is the result of increased consciousness of independence and the major changes that have been wrought since the termination of the last World War. These are the common features that characterize almost all these countries.