Global trade continued its strong expansion in the first half of 2026, with worldwide goods trade reaching approximately $13.7 trillion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The figure represents a 12.5 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025, highlighting the continued strength of international commerce despite rising prices and growing pressure on businesses.
UNCTAD disclosed the development in its latest report, titled “Global trade continues to expand amid rising price pressures.”
The agency said higher prices contributed to part of the increase, while demand for technology and products linked to artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles and clean-energy industries also helped push trade higher.
Global services trade also recorded strong growth, although at a slower rate than goods. Services trade increased by 10.5 per cent compared with the first half of 2025.
East Asia was one of the major drivers of global trade growth during the period. Developing economies in the region recorded particularly strong performances, supported by demand for advanced technology products and industrial inputs.
Critical minerals recorded a 38 per cent increase in the first quarter, while semiconductor trade rose by 25 per cent. Battery trade expanded by 15 per cent, information and communication technology goods increased by 14 per cent, while electric vehicle trade grew by 11 per cent.
The figures underline the growing importance of technology and clean-energy supply chains to the global economy.
UNCTAD said developing economies and South-South trade also recorded double-digit growth over the past year when East Asian economies were included.
However, the recovery was uneven across regions. While East Asia recorded strong quarterly growth, other parts of Asia experienced contractions. Excluding East Asia, developing economies collectively recorded a decline in trade during the first quarter.
The weaker performance was largely connected to reduced imports and exports from the Middle East and South Asia.
Africa, East Asia and Europe, however, recorded particularly strong import growth over the past 12 months, while trade between countries within these regions also improved.
UNCTAD has also warned that trade barriers are becoming more complicated. Least developed countries are estimated to lose about 10 per cent of their exports to G20 economies because they struggle to meet increasingly complex non-tariff requirements.
The agency said non-tariff measures are now a major source of trade costs, particularly for developing economies.
The latest development follows a strong 2025, when global trade benefited from increased manufacturing activity and higher agricultural trade.
Meanwhile, global foreign direct investment rose by 6 per cent to $1.6 trillion in 2025, from $1.5 trillion in 2024.
Nigeria, however, recorded a sharp decline in foreign direct investment in the first quarter of 2026. FDI fell to $135.08 million, compared with $357.80 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Despite the decline in FDI, Nigeria attracted total capital inflows of $10.37 billion during the quarter, largely supported by portfolio investments and other short-term financial flows.
The global trade figures suggest that technology, electric mobility and critical minerals are increasingly shaping the next phase of international commerce, even as developing economies continue to face significant barriers to accessing global markets.
