Trade and Exports
Trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries, and exports are goods sold abroad while imports are goods bought.
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Trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries, and exports are goods sold abroad while imports are goods bought.
- Trade creates jobs
- Trade blocs reduce barriers
- Balance of trade is exports minus imports
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Trade and Exports?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Trade and Exports. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain Trade and Exports in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Trade and Exports helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
Trade and Exports in detail
Trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries. Exports are sold abroad and imports are bought from abroad. The balance of trade is the value of exports minus imports. Many LICs rely on exporting primary products (raw materials) with unstable prices, while HICs export manufactured goods and services, which have a higher value.
Trade can be helped by trading blocs (such as the EU), free-trade agreements and the World Trade Organization, or restricted by tariffs, quotas and subsidies. Fair trade aims to give farmers fair prices. Trade links economies together and helps countries specialise in what they do best.
How the interactive helps you understand Trade and Exports
Watch the supply model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the supply model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Trade and Exports.
Real-life uses and examples
- Describe a real place where Trade and Exports can be seen, using a map or photograph.
- Explain how Trade and Exports affects people, jobs and land use in a region.
- Support an answer about Trade and Exports with a named case study and specific evidence.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Trade and Exports.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Trade and Exports
What is Trade and Exports?
Trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries, and exports are goods sold abroad while imports are goods bought.
What are the most important points about Trade and Exports?
The main points are: Trade creates jobs; Trade blocs reduce barriers; Balance of trade is exports minus imports.
Why is Trade and Exports useful?
Understanding Trade and Exports helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise Trade and Exports?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Trade and Exports?
Related topics in Geography include Industry Sectors, Food Security, Wildfires and Droughts.