The World Trade Organization reported on Wednesday that global merchandise trade has kept building momentum and recovering since June, supported by a surge in technology-sector demand, according to QNA. The Geneva-based organization said this resilience highlights the capacity of international merchandise flows to absorb heightened risks arising from trade protectionism and acute geopolitical disruptions.

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The WTO’s Goods Trade Barometer, a composite leading indicator issued four times a year to offer an early signal of trade’s direction two to three months before official statistics appear, registered 102.0 points in September, up from 101.7 points in June. Readings above the 100-point baseline indicate that merchandise trade volumes are expanding faster than their usual rates measured over recent decades.

The organization attributed part of the offsetting effect to continued investment and robust global demand for electronic components and semiconductors tied to artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, which have helped counter and soften the impact of current tensions.

In March, the WTO projected that global merchandise trade volume would slow sharply, growing only 1.9% this year, down from strong growth of 4.6% in 2025. The organization cautioned again that the outlook remains obscured by uncertainty, with growth potentially dropping to 1.4% under a scenario of persistently high energy prices, particularly given the ongoing war and military tensions between the United States and Iran, along with severe disruptions in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil supplies pass.

Protectionist trade policies are also casting a shadow over supply chains after President Donald Trump, the current President of the United States, imposed wide-ranging tariffs on major US trading partners.

The WTO stressed that trade growth remains uneven across regions and warned that persistently higher maritime transport costs and shipping rerouting will continue to strain global supply chains through the remainder of the year.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform