Major economies experience slowdown in second quarter. On 29 August last, the OECD indicated that trade in goods slowed down in the majority of major economies in the second quarter of 2013. Compared to the first quarter of the year, imports and exports of goods from G7 and BRIC countries declined by 1.4% and 1.8% respectively. They fell in most of the major economies: Germany -1.5% for imports and -2% for exports), France (-3.1% and -0.5% respectively), Italy (-3.8% and -3.1%), Japan (-3% and -0.4%), Canada (-1.1% and -0.3%), Russian Federation (-4.6% and -1.8%) and India (-4.5% and -8.1%). Imports increased and exports declined in China (+1.4% and -3.4% respectively) and Brazil (+0.2% and -4.6%). In the US, however, exports increased and imports fell (by +0.5% and -1.7%), similarly to South Africa (+3.8% and -2.9%). The United Kingdom was the only economy to experience a certain level of moderate growth in both imports and exports during the second quarter of 2013 (+0.1% and +1.4% respectively). (IL/transl.fl)