Summary of resource: 

This resource came out of MIT as an Open Source resource in 2012 and has since grown substantially. It describes itself as ‘an online data visualization and distribution platform focused on the geography and dynamics of economic activities’. Information can be found through categories such as geographies, industries or markets. It is particularly useful to visually and quickly understand the breakdown of a country’s economy including key sectors, exports and imports. Within this, it further breaks down sectors into specific detail. To give a better sense of this resource, here is an example regarding Germany (OEC 2026):

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‘The most recent exports are led by Cars ($169B), Packaged Medicaments ($66.5B), Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) ($64B), Vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins and cultures ($45.2B), and Planes, Helicopters, and/or Spacecraft ($24.6B). The most common destinations of the exports of Germany are United States ($161B), France ($107B), Netherlands ($105B), China ($92.4B), and Poland ($87.8B).’

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Pros and uses:

• Clear visualisation of data- fairly easy to use and follow
• Relies on a variety of reputable sources- not many websites we know that have such comprehensive, up to date and easily accessible trade data
• Generally up to date and adds new information regularly
• Can search for information on specific countries, or can browse by region, industry or market.
• Free version fairly useful and comprehensive, reliable and easy to use

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Cons/ issues to take into consideration: 

• A lot of the insights can only be accessed in the Pro version
• Can be a bit fiddly and slow to load

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Link: ‍https://oec.world/en