Global goods trade surges to $13.7 trillion as AI, EV demand fuels growth

Global goods trade surged to $13.7 trillion in the first half of 2026, marking a 12.5% increase from the same period in 2025, as reported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This growth was primarily driven by higher prices and increased demand for AI- and electric vehicle-related products, including critical minerals and semiconductors.

The strong performance was notably bolstered by robust activity in East Asia, where developing economies played a major role in the expansion. While global services trade grew at a slower pace of 10.5% compared to the first half of 2025, the increase in goods trade was attributed to the significant role played by developing economies in East Asia, which recorded double-digit quarterly growth in the first quarter.

Despite this, excluding East Asia, developing economies as a whole experienced a contraction in trade during the same period.

Brief written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.