World trade hit a record $35 trillion in 2025, UNCTAD says, as barriers rise for developing countries
Oct. 9, 2026 — World trade reached a record $35 trillion in 2025, but developing countries were held back by new technological and policy barriers, the UN trade and development agency UNCTAD said, according to UN News. Export controls, investment screening and supply-chain conditions are making strategic sectors such as semiconductors and AI harder to enter, it said. This year's higher trade values reflect price increases from the energy shock of the US-Iran war, and US-China trade has fallen more than 20% since 2024, UNCTAD said.
The wall: UNCTAD's report itself and its method for the record figure were not cited in the account.
Tier: Reported (based on UN News' account of UNCTAD's findings)
Sources
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