3D printing will be the causing the loss of 25% of world trade, or at least this is what the latest report just published by the prestigious and well-known Dutch bank indicates ING. Going into a little more detail, this report indicates that this will occur in the long term, specifically for 2060 and will be due to a sharp drop in imports and exports throughout the planet.
To make these predictions, ING analysts have relied on the practically insignificant relationship that exists today between 3D printing and the current state of trade in general, something that expected to change in the next few years Since, for example, taking into account different parameters such as 3D printer sales, these doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, which means that little by little this technology will be implemented in all types of companies and businesses.
3D printing could be the cause of the most radical change in world trade in recent decades
As stated in the report published by the ING:
It is difficult to define the exact potential of 3D printing, but some experts expect a 50% share of production in the coming decades. Calculations show that if investment in 3D printing continues to grow, 50% of manufactured goods will be printed by 2060.
Once 3D printing is applicable and economically viable for mass production, local production with 3D printers will increase to the detriment of imports. We are starting to step by step towards rapid 3D printing, but it is still difficult to know when and how fast the development of 3D printers will be in all industries.