Global trade growth continues after record figures in 2025

Global trade is projected to continue growing in 2026 after achieving record levels in the previous year, according to a United Nations report released on Friday.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated that global trade in goods and services is expected to grow by approximately 4% in 2026, although this growth primarily reflects rising prices rather than an increase in the volume of trade.

While trade between China and the United States has declined by more than 20% since 2024, East Asia has expanded its trade with both China and North America, highlighting shifts in the global trade landscape.

The agency also forecasts global economic growth of 2.6% this year, down from 2.9% in 2025. Products related to artificial intelligence are the main driver of this trade activity.

Between 2020 and 2025, advanced economies accounted for nearly 70% of the value of announced foreign investment projects in high-value-added strategic sectors, particularly in semiconductors, energy transition technologies, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

In high-value-added sectors, emerging economies lead only in critical minerals and strategic materials, capturing 60% of new foreign direct investment in these two areas.

UNCTAD noted that energy crises stemming from the war in the Middle East have disproportionately affected import-dependent emerging economies, as well as poorer households.

The agency also highlighted projections for a decline in development assistance, a vital source of financing for the least developed countries and small island developing states, by approximately 7% in 2026, marking a third consecutive year of decline.