01/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - G20 slowdown in trade in merchandise increased at the beginning of 2016. The trade in merchandise in G20 countries continued to contract in the first quarter of 2016 to levels close to those of 2010, despite oil prices continuing to fall, according to OECD data published on Tuesday 31. Exports fell (-3.8%) for the seventh consecutive quarter, as did the level of imports (-4.1%) for the eighth consecutive time in a row. Exports fell significantly for Russia (-16.8%), China (-9.3%), South Africa (-7.4%) and the United Kingdom (-7.2%). The EU saw its exports fall by 1.5% and only Brazil (+0.3%), Germany (+0.5%) and Japan (+1.1%) experienced a slight rise in their exports, breaking with the trend in previous quarterly falls. Imports fell in all G 20 countries except Germany, with significant reductions in China (-14.7%), South Korea (-8.2%), South Africa (-7.7%) and India (-7.4%), United Kingdom (-6.5%) and Brazil (-5.2%). The EU (-1.2%), Russia (-2.5%) and the US (-2.6%) experienced falls in their imports for the seventh consecutive quarter in a row. (EH)