UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Global merchandise trade growth is projected to slow from 4.7% in 2025 to between 1.5% and 2.5% in 2026. The outlook has shifted rapidly as heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupt energy markets, tighten financial conditions and affect key shipping routes, including through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical corridor for global oil and gas trade. More in the latest Trade and Development Foresights: https://ow.ly/n1fL50Z65CZ

Services now account for one quarter of global trade, yet the gains are highly uneven. Advanced economies dominate exports of digitally deliverable services, while many least developed countries remain marginal players. To narrow this gap, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlights the need to better align data, policy and implementation, particularly by strengthening the infrastructure, skills and regulatory environments that support services-intensive production. Explore how countries can benefit from services – the fastest-growing segment of global trade: https://ow.ly/qlf850Z5Hgz

Services now account for around half of economic output in the average least developed country – spanning tourism, finance, transport, telecommunications and more. The question is no longer whether services matter, but under what conditions they can drive structural transformation in the world’s most vulnerable economies. Explore the data, trends, and the path forward in UNCTAD’s Least Developed Countries Report 2025: https://ow.ly/6iKG50Z5G4s

Back in Geneva, Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno highlighted how services trade advances global development cooperation. From logistics and finance to digital platforms, services represent a new frontier for economic diversification. For developing economies, they offer pathways to boost competitiveness, move up value chains, and foster more inclusive and sustainable growth. Explore our work on services, trade and development: https://ow.ly/V7p550Z5BGH

Fragmentation, concentration and new integration are reshaping the global economy, making cooperation even more vital on digital systems, critical minerals and clean energy supply chains. More from Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno at the 32nd APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting: https://ow.ly/hOiE50Z5tyv

Globalization rebounded in 2025, with the trade-to-GDP ratio rising again after two years of decline. At the same time, fragmentation is more visible: • Trade is concentrating in larger economies • Long-distance trade trends stabilized, while geographically closer trade links are growing faster • Policy shifts and geopolitical tensions continue to reshape trade flows These shifting patterns point to a global trading system that is less uniform and increasingly focused on resilience. Dive deeper: https://ow.ly/g02Z50Z4WlV

The world is entering an era of “strategization,” where industrial policy, supply chain security and geopolitical considerations are increasingly reshaping global trade and investment flows. Speaking at the 32nd APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting in Suzhou, China, UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno highlighted a defining challenge: managing the coexistence of openness and strategic policy in a complex global economy. He called for stronger international cooperation to ensure growth remains open, resilient and inclusive. “Open regionalism has been APEC's wager from the beginning. In a world of cross-currents, it remains the right one.”

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno met with Executive Director Eduardo Pedrosa of the APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat during the bloc’s trade ministers’ meeting recently held in Suzhou, China.

UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno met with Wang Wentao, China’s Minister of Commerce, during the recent APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting held in Suzhou.

World trade in 2025 exceeded $35 trillion, reaching a new high. Strong growth was largely driven by higher volumes of goods trade, which accounted for about 75% of total trade. Meanwhile, services continued a long-term growth streak, more than doubling since 2010, fueled by digital services, e-commerce, and the recovery in travel and tourism. More insights: https://ow.ly/ahsP50Z3gR7