FIVE-FOLD INCREASE IN
INTERNATIONAL FLOW OF CULTURAL GOODS SINCE 1980
Paris, January 17 (No.2001-05)
- Television sets today are manufactured in Mexico, sound recordings are
made in Ireland, photo equipment and games in China. Such are the findings of
the Report International Flows of Selected Cultural Goods 1980 - 98 produced
by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics and the Organization’s Division of
Cultural Policies.
This general study, based on
statistics of the database of the Commodity Trade Statistics Division of the
United Nations (COMTRADE), helps understand developments in the sector during
the 1990s and introduces data about emerging regional trading blocks.
The Report shows that the trade
in cultural goods, according to United Nations statistical categories, increased
five-fold over the last two decades and that the proportion of that trade as a
percentage of all international commerce remained stable: 2.5% in 1980 and 2.8%
in 1977 (peaking at 3.8% in 1990).
In a global landscape marked by
new trading blocks, the Asian Pacific Economic Co-operation countries (APEC)
along with those of the European Union (EU) in 1998 accounted for 91% of all
imports and 94% of all exports of cultural goods (against 79% and 85%
respectively in 1980).
The value of trade in cultural
goods among developed countries almost tripled in real terms between 1980 and
1997 (from US$42 to US$123 billion, declared value). Among developing countries,
growth has been even more notable, registering a more than ten-fold increase
from US$5.5 to US$57 billion. World imports of cultural goods rose from US$47.8
billion in 1980 to US$213.7 billion in 1998 (from US$12 per capita in 1980 to
US$44.7 in 1997). In the developing countries in 1998, exports exceeded imports
(US$51.8 billion and US$44.4 billion respectively), whereas in the developed
countries the reverse was true (US$122.5 billion in exports, US$169.3 billion in
imports).
Yet, most of this trade took
place between a relatively small number of countries. In 1990, Japan, USA,
Germany and UK were the “Big Four” exporters accounting for 53% of all
exports. At that time, imports were also highly concentrated with the USA,
Germany, the United Kingdom and France accounting for 47% of total imports.
During the 1990s, the concentration of exports and imports of cultural goods
among a few countries diminished slightly and China emerged as the new big
trader of cultural goods and Japan’s lead diminished. In 1998, the new “Big
Five” were the source of more than half of global exchange, accounting for 53%
of cultural exports and 57% of imports.
Globally, most countries have
quite a modest trade balance. However, for the countries heavily involved in the
exchange of cultural goods, trade surpluses or deficits are considerable and
help to define the main producers and consumers. In 1998, the most significant
trade surpluses were those of Japan (US$14.5 billion), China (US$13.3 billion),
Malaysia (US$5.7 billion), Mexico (US$5 billion), Ireland (US$2.7 billion) and
Republic of Korea (US$2.6 billion). The main net consumers of cultural goods
were the United States (US$38.2 billion), Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (US$14.4 billion), Canada (US$6 billion) and Australia (US$3.1 billion).
Most EU countries - with the exception of Ireland and, to a lesser extent,
Belgium and the Netherlands - showed deficits of between US$1 billion and US$3
billion.
Since 1980, the base year for
this study, there has been a major structural change. While music goods figuring
in this category (sound players and recorders, musical instruments) continue to
dominate the market (a quarter of all cultural imports and exports), there has
been a rise in the proportion of sporting goods and games. Books, other printed
materials, radio and television receivers remain relatively stable. There is a
steady decline in cinematographic and photographic goods and a small but steady
decline in the visual arts (the smallest component of cultural trade).
In 1998, the United States
represented that largest national market in all the main goods categories with
imports of US$60 billion, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany and France in
the lead of consumption of cultural goods. By category of cultural goods, Canada
and the United Kingdom are importers of printed matter, Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region is an importer of games and sporting goods, and the United
Kingdom and Switzerland are visual arts importers.
Since 1980, the patterns of
import have been relatively stable, and, with the exception of the growing
market in China, there has been little change in the relative volumes of imports
to the major consumer societies. Export patterns, on the other hand, have shown
significant change. Japanese dominance in music goods has been steadily eroded
since 1980. While other Asian countries have filled the vacuum, the most
spectacular growth has been in Ireland, which since 1995 has been the principal
exporter of sound recordings (14% of trade) after the United States. The United
Kingdom has become the leading exporter of visual arts (paintings, drawings,
sculptures etc). There has also been a major shift in the pattern of trade or
radios and televisions: the Japanese contribution has declined significantly
since 1980 and the large American market is now fed by Mexico (18% of world
exports in this area). In the last decade, the significance of China has
likewise grown, notably in the export of games and sporting goods, half of all
Chinese cultural exports in 1998.
****
The Report International
Flows of Selected Cultural Goods 1980 - 98, prepared by Phillip Ramsdale
with the support of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is available in
English from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics [tel.+33 (0)1 45 68 20 04] and
from UNESCO’s Press Service [tel.+33 (0)1 45 68 17 48].
An executive summary in English
and French can be downloaded from: http://unescostat.unesco.org/en/pub/pub0.htm
