| Goods barometer rises above trend, signalling upturn in trade volume
September 4, 2024--Global goods trade has continued to recover in the third quarter of 2024 after demand for traded goods stalled in 2023 amid high inflation and rising interest rates, according to the latest WTO Goods Trade Barometer. |
| Despite the positive signal from the barometer index, the outlook for trade remains highly uncertain due to rising geopolitical tensions, ongoing regional conflicts, shifting monetary policy in advanced economies and weakening export orders.
The Goods Trade Barometer is a composite leading indicator for world trade, providing real-time information on the trajectory of merchandise trade relative to recent trends. Barometer values greater than 100 are associated with above-trend trade volumes while barometer values less than 100 suggest that goods trade has either fallen below trend or will do so in the near future. The full Goods Trade Barometer is available here. |
| Goods trade growth set to moderate as barometer index dips November 28, 2025-Goods trade growth appears to have slowed in the second half of 2025 following a surge in the first half driven by frontloading of imports ahead of expected tariff hikes and by rising demand for AI-related products, according to the latest WTO Goods Trade Barometer. |