Question

When and why did the centre of world trade shift from Asia to Americas ?

Answer 1

Dear Student,

Until well into the eighteenth century, Asiatic countries such as China and India were among the world’s richest countries. They were also pre-eminent in Asian trade. However, from the fifteenth century, China is said to have restricted overseas contacts and retreated into isolation. China’s reduced role and the rising importance of the Americas gradually moved the centre of world trade westwards.