The WTO Director-General warned that trade in products related to artificial intelligence is masking the negative impact of Trump's tariffs and other trade turbulence. According to the latest data from the WTO, in the first quarter of 2026, trade volume of AI-related commodities such as semiconductors, chemicals, and industrial equipment increased by 42% year-on-year; trade in non-AI-related commodities increased by only 7%. “AI-related trade masks tariffs and all kinds of disruptive shocks facing global trade.” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said during an interview in Geneva. She cautioned: “If the AI market were a bubble, then this trade growth would be unsustainable. We need to take a close look at how long this engine of trade growth will last.”
Zhitongcaijing · 3d ago
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The WTO Director-General warned that trade in products related to artificial intelligence is masking the negative impact of Trump's tariffs and other trade turbulence. According to the latest data from the WTO, in the first quarter of 2026, trade volume of AI-related commodities such as semiconductors, chemicals, and industrial equipment increased by 42% year-on-year; trade in non-AI-related commodities increased by only 7%. “AI-related trade masks tariffs and all kinds of disruptive shocks facing global trade.” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said during an interview in Geneva. She cautioned: “If the AI market were a bubble, then this trade growth would be unsustainable. We need to take a close look at how long this engine of trade growth will last.”
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