▁most ▁effective ▁political ▁force ▁for ▁development ▁of ▁an ▁active ▁market . ▁ ▁This ▁argument ▁diam etr ically ▁oppos es ▁B ator ’ s : ▁free - tra de ▁advoc ates ▁cont end ▁that ▁large ▁countries ▁are ▁better ▁su ited ▁to ▁help ▁smaller ▁nations ▁fin ance ▁organization ▁of ▁their ▁cultural ▁resources ▁for ▁more ▁effective ▁participation ▁in ▁international ▁trade . ▁ ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁ill ic it ▁art ▁trade ▁also ▁factors ▁into ▁the ▁debate . ▁ ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁value ▁transferred , ▁the ▁illegal ▁tra ff ick ing ▁of ▁art ▁ranks ▁in ▁black ▁market ▁activities ▁second ▁only ▁to ▁n arc ot ics . ▁More ▁problem atic ▁than ▁the ▁actual ▁the ft ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁is ▁its ▁subsequent ▁transport , ▁which ▁proves ▁difficult ▁to ▁pro sec ute ▁since ▁most ▁paint ings ▁are ▁easily ▁conce al able . ▁By ▁maintain ing ▁an ▁open ▁market , ▁liberal ists ▁argue ▁that ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁ill ic it ▁trade ▁of ▁art ▁can ▁be ▁elimin ated . ▁ ▁L arg est ▁countries ▁by ▁total ▁trade ▁in ▁art ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁tables ▁list ▁the ▁top ▁world ▁import / export ▁values , ▁according ▁to ▁data ▁from ▁the ▁UN ▁Com tra de ▁database ▁using ▁S IT C ▁code ▁ 8 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁sums ▁here ▁are ▁greater ▁than ▁those ▁included ▁in ▁H S ▁ 9 7 0 1 ▁( works ▁done ▁exclus ively ▁by ▁hand ) ▁because ▁the ▁S IT C ▁classification ▁includes ▁works ▁such ▁as ▁anti ques , ▁st amps , ▁and ▁sculpt ure ▁that ▁aren ’ t ▁captured