AQA · A-Level · Geography
Course version: 7037 · Version from Sept 2018
Trading relationships and patterns between large, highly developed…
Full specification wording
International trade and access to markets: Trading relationships and patterns between large, highly developed economies such as the United States, the European Union, emerging major economies such as China and India and smaller, less developed economies such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia and Latin America.
Global trade patterns are highly unequal, dominated by highly developed economies like the United States and the European Union, which export high-value manufactured goods and services.
Checked against the AQA 7037 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 3
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Global trade patterns are highly unequal, dominated by highly developed economies like the United States and the European Union, which export high-value manufactured goods and services. Emerging major economies, notably China and India, have rapidly increased their global trade share by leveraging lower labour costs to become manufacturing and IT service hubs. Consequently, trade flows heavily between these developed and emerging powerhouses. In contrast, smaller, less developed economies in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America often remain peripheral. Their trading relationships typically involve exporting low-value primary commodities to developed or emerging nations while importing expensive manufactured goods, perpetuating a trade deficit and unequal power dynamics.
What earns the marks
- Identify the dominance of the US and EU in global trade, focusing on high-value exports and foreign direct investment.
- Explain the shift in global manufacturing towards emerging economies like China and India, altering traditional trade flows.
- Describe the peripheral role of less developed economies in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America as primary product exporters.
- Analyse the unequal terms of trade that result from these patterns, where developing nations import high-value goods and export low-value raw materials.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming less developed economies do not participate in global trade.
Put it right: They do, but often on unequal terms exporting primary commodities.
Treating all emerging economies as identical.
Put it right: China focuses heavily on manufacturing exports, whereas India has a significant focus on service exports like IT.
Ignoring trade between developing nations.
Put it right: South-South trade is growing rapidly, especially driven by Chinese investment in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
Exam tips
- Use specific data or examples of traded goods when comparing the US or EU with sub-Saharan African nations to illustrate unequal trade terms.
- Discuss the concept of the new international division of labour when explaining the rise of China and India in global trade patterns.
- Evaluate how historical relationships, such as colonialism, continue to influence current trading patterns in Latin America and southern Asia.
Try the lesson
The start of the International trade and access to markets: Trading relationships and patterns between large, highly developed economies such as the United States, the European Union, emerging major economies such as China and India and smaller, less developed economies such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia and Latin America. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following best describes the typical historical trading pattern between highly developed economies, such as the European Union, and less developed economies, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa?
Listen
Global trade patterns are highly unequal, dominated by highly developed economies like the United States and the European Union, which export high-value manufactured goods and services. Emerging major economies, notably China and India, have rapidly increased their global trade share by leveraging lower labour costs to become manufacturing and IT service hubs. Consequently, trade flows heavily between these developed and emerging powerhouses. In contrast, smaller, less developed economies in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America often remain peripheral. Their trading relationships typically involve exporting low-value primary commodities to developed or emerging nations while importing expensive manufactured goods, perpetuating a trade deficit and unequal power dynamics. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify the dominance of the US and EU in global trade, focusing on high-value exports and foreign direct investment. Explain the shift in global manufacturing towards emerging economies like China and India, altering traditional trade flows. Describe the peripheral role of less developed economies in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and Latin America as primary product exporters. Analyse the unequal terms of trade that result from these patterns, where developing nations import high-value goods and export low-value raw materials. Exam tip: Use specific data or examples of traded goods when comparing the US or EU with sub-Saharan African nations to illustrate unequal trade terms.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Unequal flows
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Core-periphery model
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Economic restructuring
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See every definition
- Unequal flows
- Trade patterns in which less developed economies export low-value primary commodities while importing expensive manufactured goods, perpetuating a trade deficit and unequal power dynamics.
- Core-periphery model
- A pattern in which highly developed economies dominate global trade while smaller, less developed economies often remain peripheral.
- Economic restructuring
- A shift in global manufacturing towards emerging economies like China and India, altering traditional trade flows.
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