The Kobeissi Letter(@KobeissiLetter):AI goods are driving historic global trade growth: Global trade in AI-enabling goods surged +42% YoY in Q1 2026, the largest annual growth rate on record. This is up from +22% growth for the full year 2025 and +11% in 2024. At the same time, trade in non-AI goods grew only +7% YoY, up from +5% in 2025 and +1% in 2024. This pushed total global goods trade growth to +12% YoY in Q1 2026, up from +7% in 2025 and just +2% in 2024. As a result, AI-enabling goods accounted for 18.7% of world trade in Q1, up from 13.8% in 2024. AI is the new engine of global trade growth.

2026.09.21 20:51

AI goods are driving historic global trade growth: Global trade in AI-enabling goods surged +42% YoY in Q1 2026, the largest annual growth rate on record. This is up from +22% growth for the full year 2025 and +11% in 2024. At the same time, trade in non-AI goods grew only +7% YoY, up from +5% in 2025 and +1% in 2024. This pushed total global goods trade growth to +12% YoY in Q1 2026, up from +7% in 2025 and just +2% in 2024. As a result, AI-enabling goods accounted for 18.7% of world trade in Q1, up from 13.8% in 2024. AI is the new engine of global trade growth.