Among the world’s 250 highest-value exported goods, just 13 posted increases in their international revenues from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession. The products highlighted in this article are also potential winners in the much-anticipated slowdown after 10 years of record economic expansion.

All told, the value of all goods exported in 2009 fell to US$12.349 trillion. That dollar amount represents a -22.7% decline from $15.978 trillion in 2008, as the impact from the financial crisis from October 2007 to 2009 sent out global trade aftershocks.

The -22.7% slowdown in export sales pales in comparison to the -50.9% drop in the United States’ S&P 500 Index during the severe bear market from 2007 to 2009. The S&P 500 Index measures the stock performance of 500 large companies on American stock exchanges.

But not all exported goods decreased in value during the financial meltdown. The following analysis focuses on products that appreciated in international sales while most other exports notably petroleum products, cars and heavy machinery suffered double-digit losses.

Recession-Resistant Export Products

Listed below are the 13 export products that increased in value from 2008 to 2009. The list is sorted in descending order based on percentage gains during the Great Recession (as shown within parentheses).

1. Blood fractions including antisera: US$72.4 billion (up 20.8% in 2009 from 2008)
2. Sugar (cane or beet): $21.5 billion (up 14.4%)
3. Gold (unwrought): $114.9 billion (up 10.3%)
4. Unmanufactured tobacco, tobacco waste: $11.3 billion (up 10%)
5. Cruise/cargo ships, barges: $108.3 billion (up 4.4%)
6. Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $53.5 billion (up 4.1%)
7. Women’s clothing (knit or crochet): $20.9 billion (up 3.5%)
8. Soya-bean oil-cake, other solid residues: $21.5 billion (up 2.6%)
9. Orthopedic appliances: $37.6 billion (up 2.3%)
10. Medication mixes in dosage: $300.9 billion (up 2.2%)
11. Antibiotics: $12.7 billion (up 1.7%)
12. Whole fish (frozen): $15.1 billion (up 0.2%)
13. Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods: $12.5 billion (up 0.04%)

Four top export products improved in attracting international revenues by double-digits namely blood fractions, sugar, gold and tobacco.

Cruise or cargo ships or barges require high-capital and relatively long-term expenditures so might be considered an anomaly. Knitted or crocheted women’s clothing is the only fashion and apparel-related product among the above recession-resistant goods.
 

 

Searchable List of Most Valuable Exports During the Great Recession

Presented below are the 250 top exported goods ranked by those with the highest value in 2009. Also shown is the percentage change in the value of exports for each product from 2008 to 2009.

You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icons at the top of the columns.

To browse winning or losing products by percentage gains or losses from 2008 to 2009, please click on the column heading titled “2008-9”.

See also Riskiest Export Products for Severe Recession Losses, Great Recession International Trade Losses by Country and World’s Richest Export Countries

Research Sources:
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Why Was the Decline in U.S. Trade Larger This Time? A Global View. Accessed on August 12, 2019

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 12, 2019

Wikipedia, Financial crisis of 2007-2008. Accessed on August 12, 2019

Wikipedia, Great Recession. Accessed on August 12, 2019