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Trade relationships shape this world in ways that extend far beyond straightforward economics. They build bonds among nations, influence their foreign policy, and expose their strategic priorities which may not be immediately apparent.
I recently found a fascinating set of maps made by Ehsan Soltani for Visual Capitalist using United States Census Bureau and Eurostat data that catapults into view the thing I’ve been interested in for years: how America and Europe compete for trade dominance across all the spheres of trading and how that competition was affected over the last two decades.
Placing the maps of 2000 and 2024 side by side tells you right away that there are some interesting shifts. Let’s unpack what happened and why it is important.
Africa: The Expanding Backyard of Europe
Europe’s improved position throughout Africa is one of the most obvious changes between the maps from 2000 and 2024. Angola, Gabon, and Nigeria were among the resource-rich African nations with which the US had closer trade relations in 2000. All three had switched to the EU column by 2024.
The EU actually became the most important trading partner for almost the whole African continent by 2024. This is a result of years of targeted European investment in African markets through a number of partnerships and trade agreements.
Asia: Mixed Signals and a China Surprise
Perhaps the biggest single change on the map involves China. In 2000, the US was China’s main Western trading partner. By 2024, that had flipped – the EU now trades more with China than the US does.
This shift reflects years of complicated US-China trade tensions, including tariffs and trade disputes that intensified during the late 2010s.
Despite this major change, the US maintained its position as the top Western trade partner for most export-driven Asian economies:
Japan
South Korea
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
All these countries still trade more with the US than with Europe, highlighting America’s continued importance as a market for Asian exports, especially in technology and consumer goods.
South America: Minor but Significant Shifts
Though there are some noteworthy changes, South America exhibits fewer significant shifts. Argentina, Brazil, and other nations already traded more with Europe in 2000 than with the US. As a result of the 2004 US-Chile Free Trade Agreement, Chile switched from the EU to the US column by 2024.
Which modifications in these maps surprise you the most? Has your industry or region seen any changes as a result of changing trade patterns? Leave a comment with your thoughts!
