Trade in Transition

Trade in Transition is a global research programme which presents private-sector sentiment on international trade. Commissioned by DP World and conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, this research is the first of its kind within the global trade industry and is the first time a company of our size in the private sector has commissioned such a report. 

The research is based on two global surveys of senior executives involved in their firms’ day-to-day international trade decisions and transactions. The first survey of 3,000 respondents was conducted between January and March 2020. The second survey, of 800 respondents, was conducted between October and November 2020 and asked executives across a range of industries and regions about the pandemic’s effects on trade and their business—including changes in their international sales revenue in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. 

The executive summary reports the findings from the second survey. This data outlines how the effects of the pandemic have accelerated the transformation of supply chains and prompted rapid adaptation to ensure resiliency in international trade. 

In early 2021, we will release a series of papers that dive deeper into results from both surveys, highlighting significant sectoral and regional findings.

DOWNLOAD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY