ISLAMABAD: Global goods trade continued to strengthen in mid-2026 despite persistent geopolitical and policy-related uncertainties, according to Goods Trade Barometer of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

“The latest barometer reading of 102.0 is above both the baseline value of 100 and its previous reading of 101.7 from last June, indicating that merchandise trade is above trend and continues to gain momentum”, said the Geneva-based global trade organisation.

The negative impact of the conflict in the Middle East continues to be partly offset by strong demand for electronic components and other goods linked to investment in artificial intelligence (AI), it added.

The WTO has 166 members, accounting for 98pc of world trade. All members have joined the system as a result of negotiation and, therefore, membership means a balance of rights and obligations. Over 20 countries are negotiating to join the organisation.

The Goods Trade Barometer, released on Wednesday, pointed towards a resilient trade growth despite headwinds. The barometer is a composite leading indicator for merchandise trade, providing an early indication of the trajectory of world trade relative to recent trends. Barometer values greater than 100 are associated with above-trend trade volumes while values less than 100 indicate that the volume of trade has fallen below trend.

The WTO said all of the barometer’s component indices were above their common baseline value of 100 to varying degrees except for the container shipping index, at 99.6, which dipped slightly below trend. The strongest reading was for the electronic components index at 104.9, reflecting robust demand for AI-enabling goods.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2026