Global trade growth up as tech beats tariffs: DHL

DHL says the global race to build AI infrastructure is boosting world trade, even as tariffs and geopolitical conflicts rise. The conclusion comes from the latest DHL Globalisation Tracker, released with NYU Stern, based on more than 30 million data points covering flows of trade, capital, information and people. The report—first published under its current name after being previously called the DHL Global Connectedness Tracker—finds global goods trade grew faster in the first half of 2026 than in any half-year in the past 15 years, excluding the exceptional 2021 Covid rebound. Demand for AI-buildout items like semiconductors and data-transmission equipment drove the acceleration, with AI-enabling goods responsible for 42% of growth in 2025 and 76% in Q1 2026.