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2025 Global AI-Linked Trade Growth Drivers
Percentage increases in AI-related trade sectors during 2025.
Primary Sources
AI fuels global trade growth as China-US flows shift, McKinsey finds
Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company.Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed.The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the race to expand computing capacity, led largely by the US, which added roughly half of the world’s new data-centre capacity in 2025.“[The trend] is on the longer side than the shorter … with multi-year, long-term investments,” said Kweilin Ellingrud, senior partner at McKinsey & Company and director at McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the consultancy’s economy and business research arm, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.Ellingrud said AI capital expenditure was escalating as companies and countries raced to avoid being left behind, likening the current investment push to a “space race” but with far greater economic rewards.AI capital expenditure is escalating as companies and countries race to avoid being left behind, says Kweilin Ellingrud. Photo: HandoutSince 2022, industries including semiconductors, cloud services and AI software have added US$500 billion in revenues and US$11 trillion in market capitalisation.
AI Emerges as the New Engine of Global Trade - LinkedIn
Md. Hafizullah Md. Hafizullah Published Apr 9, 2026 McKinsey's Bombshell 2026 Report: As China-US Trade Corridor Weakens, AI-Related Goods Surge 37% Globally, Reshaping the Geometry of World Commerce THE AI TRADE REVOLUTION April 9, 2026 Artificial intelligence has fundamentally transformed global trade dynamics, emerging as the single most powerful driver of international commerce in 2025, according to McKinsey Global Institute's landmark report "Geopolitics and the Geometry of Global Trade: 2026 Update." Bottom Line: Global trade grew 6.5% in 2025, significantly outpacing world economic growth AI-related goods accounted for ONE-THIRD of total trade growth, a staggering contribution AI hardware shipments surged 37% globally, with U.S. imports skyrocketing 66% U.S.-China trade decline reduced global trade growth by approximately 10% ASEAN emerges as the critical bridge in the new trade architecture GLOBAL TRADE GROWTH DRIVERS (2025) As China-US Trade Corridor Weakens, AI-Related Goods Surge 37% Globally, Reshaping the Geometry of World Commerce THE AI TRADE REVOLUTION April 9, 2026 Artificial intelligence has fundamentally transformed global trade dynamics, emerging as the single most powerful driver of international commerce in 2025, according to McKinsey Global Institute's landmark report "Geopolitics and the Geometry of Global Trade: 2026 Update." Bottom Line: Global trade grew 6.5% in 2025, significantly outpacing world economic growth AI-related goods accounted for ONE-THIRD of total trade growth, a staggering contribution AI hardware shipments surged 37% globally, with U.S. imports skyrocketing 66% U.S.-China trade decline reduced global trade growth by approximately 10% ASEAN emerges as the critical bridge in the new trade architecture GLOBAL TRADE GROWTH DRIVERS (2025) TRADE EXPLOSION: BY THE NUMBERS The McKinsey report reveals an unprecedented shift in global commerce patterns: AI Hardware Surge: U.S. AI-related trade: +66% (approximately $220 billion increase) Global AI hardware shipments: +37% year-over-year Primary drivers: Semiconductors, data center equipment, AI servers U.S. position: Largest importer of AI infrastructure globally 🏗️ Data Center Buildout: United States: Leading global data center construction China: Second-largest data center builder despite trade tensions Investment scale: Hundreds of billions in AI infrastructure deployment Geographic spread: Rapid expansion across ASEAN, Europe, and Middle East U.S. ...
Global demand for AI, digital & green-industry goods fueled trade ...
7 likes, 0 comments - unctad on April 7, 2026: "Global demand for AI, digital & green-industry goods fueled trade growth in 2025 and is set to drive future ...
AI Data Centre Infrastructure Growth & Materials Impact
Global Technology Infrastructure Revolution: How AI Infrastructure Demands Are Reshaping Materials Markets The convergence of artificial intelligence acceleration and digital infrastructure expansion represents one of the most significant technological transitions since the advent of the internet. AI and the growth of data centre infrastructure creates unprecedented demands for materials ...
