These are the 10 countries that export the most sophisticated products and have the most economic complexity: there are a number of surprises

Have you ever wondered where they make integrated circuits and specialized equipment? Well, the countries with the greatest economic complexity are precisely the manufacturers of these products. The more complex a product is, the fewer countries are able to produce it.

The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OCE) publishes a ranking of the countries with the greatest economic complexity in trade. The current ranking is dominated by Japan, followed by Switzerland and China Taipei, three unsurprising countries. In the next seven, which complete the Top 10, there are some surprises.

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1. Japan: the country with the highest level of economic complexity in trade

The winning country for its level of economic complexity is Japan, according to the ECO. This Asian country has the capacity to manufacture goods with the highest product complexity, such as photographic film, metal machining centers and machines for artificial textiles.

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In addition, in 2021 Japan was the largest exporter of machinery having individual functions, photo laboratory equipment and large construction vehicles, all products with high complexity, as recorded by the Observatory.

2. Switzerland

Switzerland is a country capable of manufacturing goods with high product complexity that are fundamental to the industrial process. These include metal machining centers, cermet and its manufactures (a composite material, which is formed by the combination of ceramics and metal), machines for making other tools and machines for specialized functions.

In addition, Switzerland was the world’s leading exporter of metal-based watches, precious metal watches and hydrazine derivatives or hydroxylamines in 2021, which are chemical compounds used in the manufacture of different goods, from fuels to perfumes. All these products put Switzerland second in the world in terms of the level of economic complexity in trade, according to the ECO.

3. China Taipei

China Taipei was, in 2021, the world’s largest exporter of integrated circuits and copper foil, records the ECO. As if that were not enough, integrated circuits are also the product that weighs most heavily in this territory’s export basket.

China-Taipei’s most complex exports are photographic film, metal machining centers, photographic laboratory equipment and chemical elements used in electronics. These goods place China Taipei in third place in the ECO in terms of economic complexity in trade.

4. South Korea

South Korea appears in fourth place in the ranking of countries with the highest economic complexity in trade. This country has capabilities to produce photographic film, metal machining centers, apparatus for photographic laboratories and chemical elements used in electronics. Thus, South Korea has capabilities similar to those of China Taipei.

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According to information from the Observatory, the product that weighs the most in the export basket of this Asian country is integrated circuits. In 2021 South Korea was also the first exporter of passenger and cargo ships, special purpose ships, blank media for audio recording, cyclic hydrocarbons and styrene polymers.

5. Germany

Germany was the top exporter of packaged medicines, motor vehicles, parts and accessories, centrifuges and electronic control boards in 2021, according to ECO data. Thanks to these and other products, the country ranked fifth by economic complexity.

The exports with the highest product complexity made by Germany are: photographic films, machining centers for metal, cermet and its manufactures, specialized machines for textiles and welding machines.

6. Singapore

Like China, Taipei and South Korea, the product that weighs most heavily in Singapore’s export basket is integrated circuits. On the other hand, in 2021 it was the world’s largest exporter of glass working machines, according to the ECO.

This small country also manufactures and exports apparatus for photographic laboratories, chemical elements used in electronics, machines with specific functions and sound recording media. Thanks to all this, Singapore is in sixth place in the Observatory’s ranking of economic complexity.

7. Czech Republic

Seventh place in the ranking of economic complexity in trade goes to the Czech Republic. This was the country in the world that made the most exports of non-optical microscopes (e.g. electron microscopes) in 2021.

Exports from Czech Republic with the highest product complexity are welding machines, specialized metalworking machines, machines with specialized functions, non-optical microscopes and sound recording media.

8. Sweden

Sweden’s most complex exports are welding machines, machines with specialized functions, drawing instruments, hand saws and interchangeable tools for hand tools. This production capacity places Sweden in eighth place in the ranking of economic complexity.

In 2021, Sweden was the world’s largest exporter of iron powder and polymer-based ion exchangers, according to ECO data. The most important product in Sweden’s export basket is automobiles.

9. Austria

Austria’s main exports, according to the ECO, are vaccines, automobiles, packaged medicines, other vehicles and their accessories, and transmission equipment. In addition, in 2021 it was the world’s largest exporter of iron railway products.

Austrian goods with the highest product complexity are apparatus for photographic laboratories, cermet and its manufactures, textile machines, welding machines and metalworking machines.

10. United States

The Top 10 in the ranking of economic complexity in trade is closed by the United States. In 2021, it was the world’s leading exporter of medical instruments and gas turbines, according to the ECO.

Other highly complex products exported by the United States, although it is not the world’s leading supplier, are photographic films, apparatus for photographic laboratories, chemical elements used in electronics and esters of inorganic acids of non-metals -chemical compounds that can be used as flavorings, flavoring agents and used in the synthesis of other chemical compounds-.

How is Colombia doing in terms of economic complexity in trade?

In the most recent measurement, Colombia ranks 54th in the ranking of economic complexity in trade, among 131 countries evaluated. The country has been losing positions, since in 2002 it was ranked 45th. In these years it has been surpassed by economies such as the Philippines or Romania.

Colombia’s most complex exports are iron pipe fittings, sound recordings, bandages and metal office supplies.

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