I’ve lately been poking around in the UN Comtrade database. This records international trade in detail that is mind-boggling, and I suspect not entirely reliable. So today I learned that:
- The UAE spent half a billion dollars on swords in the space of 2 years. How many swords does that buy you?
- The UK is the world’s leading importer of cufflinks, responsible for a quarter of the world trade. We export, too. The leading customer? Nigeria.