The war in Ukraine, as well as the rise in interest rates and the end of stimulus packages, is holding back the growth of world trade

This was announced today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), specifying that the positive trend of international trade, however, may soon stop due to a tightening of policies and geopolitical frictions. "The war in Ukraine - explains the "Global Trade Update" report published today by the UN body - is starting to influence trade international especially through the increase in prices". The document specifies that a probable impact on the volumes of exchanges in the remaining part of 2022 will also have the increase in interest rates and the end of stimulus packages to the economy.

The report also focuses on the trade of the Russian Federation and Ukraine with the three main economies world championships that took place in the two-month period March-April of this year, the first bimonthly period after the start of the conflict that began February 24 with the invasion of Ukrainian territory by the Russian troops. Compared to the corresponding two-month period of 2021, in the last months of March and April Ukraine's exports to China, THE US and the EU decreased by -10%, -31% and -10% respectively in terms of the value of exported goods, while imports fell by -90%, -27% and -48%. Exports of the Federation Russian, if in the two-month period March-April they decreased by -4% towards the United States, on the other hand, they have increased, in terms of value, +38% towards China and +75% towards the European Union, while imports all fell, which was equal to -18% from China, -83% from the USA and -59% from the EU.

With regard to imports by the European Union from Russian Federation in the two-month period March-April compared to the same period of 2021, European imports of crude oil Russian totaled the value of four billion dollars, with an increase of +49% in terms of value and a growth of +4% in terms of quantity; European imports of products Russian oil have reached a value of 24 billion dollars, with a sharp rise of +77% in terms of value and a contraction of -5% in terms of imported quantities; the European imports of Russian natural gas amounted to 22 billions of dollars, with an exceptional increase of +259% in value and a noticeable decrease of -29% in quantity; more contained European imports of Russian coal which are amounted to six billion dollars, with significant variations positive percentages in terms of import value (+130%) and a positive sign in terms of quantity (-23%).

As regards EU imports from Ukraine in the at the same time, those of steel companies reached a value of 1.9 billion dollars, with declines of -60% in terms of value and -64% in terms of quantity; imports of seeds of sunflower totaled $1.9 billion, with growth +5% in value and a reduction of -14% in quantity; the wheat imports amounted to $1.8 billion, with decreases of -23% in value and -35% in quantity; the imports of rapeseed recorded a value of 1.1 billions of dollars, with increases of +175% in value and +112% in quantity.