CHARTICLE
THE FAST RAMP-UP
THE ECONOMICS OF THE CHINA–LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN (LAC) RELATIONSHIP BY RYAN BERGER
Commerce
Two-way trade from China to the LAC region
has jumped in the past five years.
DOLLAR AMOUNT OF TRADE,
EXCLUDING SERVICES (IN BILLIONS)
1
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
$7.1
$5.4
$8.1
$6.7
$9.3
$8.3
$11.6
$14.9
$17.9
$21.7
$23.3
$26.7
$35.4
$34.1
$51.1
$51.0
CHINA TO LAC
LAC TO CHINA
2008
2009
$71.0
$71.4
$56.4
$64.1
2010
$91.0
$91.1
PERCENT TRADE GROWTH
LAC to China
China to LAC
61.3%
51.9%
50.0%
44.4%
30.2%
40.0%
38.9%
42.1%
27.7%
23.0%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
- 10.2%
- 20.6%
By the end of 2015, it is expected
that China will supplant the EU as
LAC’s number-two trade partner.
70
Americas Quarterly WINTER 2012
Country
As a result of increased trade flows, China has jumped on many
countries’ lists as one of the leading destinations for exports and
sources of imports. Below is a comparison of China’s rank as a
trade partner with individual LAC countries in 2000 and 2009.
ARGENTINA
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
CHILE
COLOMBIA
COS TA RICA
ECUADOR
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
MEXICO
NICARAGUA
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
PERU
URUGUAY
VENEZUELA
EXPORTS TO CHINA
2000 2009
11
1
1
6
2
16
36
25
11
7
27
36
15
2
4
2
IMPOR TS FROM CHINA
2000 2009
3
4
2
2
2
3
3
4
3
6
2
4
2
1
2
3
3
AMERICASQUARTERLY.ORG
