AI Infrastructure Goods Drive Surge in Global Trade

DHL and NYU Stern School of Business said in an announcement that goods used to build AI infrastructure drove 76% of global goods trade growth in the first quarter of 2026. These products include semiconductors and data transmission equipment.

Global goods trade grew faster in the first half of 2026 than in any other half year during the past 15 years, excluding the rebound from the Covid pandemic. East Asia and the Pacific led regional growth, with trade value rising 24% during the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Europe recorded 12% growth, while Africa south of the Sahara recorded 11%.

The report forecasts average annual goods trade growth of 3.4% through 2029, above the 2.7% rate recorded during the previous decade. Its measure of globalization, based on international flows of trade, capital, information and people, reached a record 25.8% in 2025.