Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Benefits of branching out
Strategy | Globalization
December 18, 2023 – Rising interest rates and continuing geopolitical tensions have made the outlook on global trade flows hazy. Diversification could give businesses a means to boost resilience, note senior partner Olivia White and colleagues. For example, most economies import wheat from only a few sources, despite many countries exporting the grain. An additional 10 percent of trade of goods such as laptops and iron ore come from few sources, representing the potential for shifts in trade flows. Click through the interactive to see more.
Interactive
To read the article, see “A new paradigm for our connected world?,” November 22, 2023.
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Visual form
Sankey-style trade-flow chart.
Layout / body structure
The chart places exporters on the left, importers on the right, and curved bands between them. Product tabs switch the view between Computers and Wheat.
What is being compared
It compares the top 40 global export-import corridors by value for the selected product, showing which exporting economies supply which importing economies.
Measurement system
The unit is trade value in US dollars, billions. Band thickness represents relative corridor size, and the legend gives reference widths such as 60, 20, 10, 5, and 2 billion.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The visible Computers tab shows China mainland as the dominant exporter at 213 billion, with Mexico, Thailand, Taiwan China, the Netherlands, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Germany, and Czech Republic below it. Importers are listed on the right, led by the US.
Main takeaway from the visual
The chart shows a highly concentrated computer trade network, with China mainland supplying a large share of the visible corridors and the US receiving the largest import flow.
Key standout values or extremes
China mainland is the standout exporter at 213 billion, far above Mexico at 28 billion and Thailand at 24 billion. The widest band runs from China mainland to the US.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
The product tabs switch between Computers and Wheat inside the chart.
Companion media, when applicable
The chart is the full visual on this page. There is no separate companion audio or video outside the visual.