WTO projects slow global trade growth in 2026 against backdrop of rising Middle East tensions
The WTO’s new chief economist Robert Staiger told a press conference that the “unusually strong trade growth” in 2025 was mainly driven by the frontloading of imports in North America in anticipation of higher US tariffs, as well as a surge in AI-related goods. But the two forces are “unlikely to persist through 2026,” said Staiger.
