New York – Global trade relations are recovering: with a 5.6% increase in 2015, and a 6% increase expected for the 2016-2017 period. The 13th ITA-Prometeia report, “Evolution of foreign trade: areas and sectors,” confirms the good news. Growth at over 5% for three consecutive years hadn’t happened since 2005-2007. The change is even more evident when compared to the expected trend for world GDP, similarly expansive, but at rates that are half of those for trade. Already in 2014, mature markets returned to grow, with North America in the lead. The United States remains the main pivot of international trade, with 7.7% growth in imports expected for the current year, and a demand for goods from abroad above the average figure for foreign trade in the 2015-2016 period. (9Colonne)