Demand for artificial intelligence-related electronic components offset headwinds from the Middle East conflict, keeping global merchandise trade resilient in the first half of this year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in a press release on Friday, June 5.
According to the group’s latest Goods Trade Barometer, where a value above 100 indicates trade volume above trend, electronic components measured 105.5, the statement said.
According to the announcement, electronic components outperformed the barometer’s other five commodity trade categories, including container shipping at 102.4, air cargo at 102.2, export orders at 100.5, automotive products at 99.8 and raw materials at 98.9.
“The negative impact of the Middle East conflict may have been partially offset by a surge in demand for electronic components related to AI investments,” the release said.
The overall Goods Trade Barometer reading measured 101.7, down slightly from January’s value of 102.3, but still above the benchmark of 100, according to the release.
“Overall, the index shows signs of resilience and relatively stable global merchandise trade growth,” the release said.
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“Despite the Middle East conflict and rising energy prices, merchandise trade remains strong,” the WTO said in a Friday post on social platform X.
Goods trade remains strong despite Middle East conflict and soaring energy prices #WTOStats#GlobalTrade https://t.co/WIjSKgMIuK pic.twitter.com/aAGyVj6kFK
— WTO (@wto) June 5, 2026
The WTO has highlighted the contribution of AI to global trade in two previous reports.
In October, the group announced that AI-related products will account for almost half of the growth in global merchandise trade in the first half of 2025. In its World Trade Outlook and Statistics released at the time, the WTO said AI-related products accounted for 15% of global exports and imports during the same period, while accounting for 43% of global trade growth.
The WTO added in October that much of the momentum in AI-related trade is shifting outside the United States, with Asian suppliers and emerging markets playing a larger role.
“This supports the view that the growth in AI-related trade is not driven entirely by recent trade policy developments, but represents a broader structural wave of investment in digital infrastructure,” the WTO said at the time.
The WTO announced in September that AI could transform global trade by 2040. The agency said in its 2025 World Trade Report that with the right policies in place, AI could increase the value of cross-border flows of goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 by increasing productivity and lowering trade costs.
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