Global trade watchers are taking note as America and China’s shared commerce shrinks to a mere 2% of worldwide totals, from 2.7% just a year ago. The DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026, unveiled Thursday, spotlights this rift amid enduring global interconnectedness.
Crafted with NYU Stern, the report details how tariffs, geopolitics, and trade policy flux fail to unravel the planet’s economic fabric. The duo’s trade peaked at 3.6% globally in 2015, but relentless declines brought it to 2.7% in 2024 and roughly 2% by mid-2025.
Their mutual investments lag further, below 1% of global flows. Still, the big picture thrives: 2025’s connectedness index at 25% matches 2022 records, gauging cross-border trade, funds, data, and migration.
DHL’s John Pearson hailed this tenacity, saying entities worldwide maintain partnerships despite chaos. Global teamwork is vital for poverty eradication and climate battles, he added. Stripping out pandemic distortions, 2025 trade growth was the strongest post-2017, propelled by anticipatory US shipments ahead of tariffs and AI hardware demand spikes.
WTO data shows AI commodities powering 42% of 2025’s initial trade uptick. Future outlooks predict steady merchandise trade rises at 2.6% yearly through 2029, consistent with decade-long patterns. While bilateral strains mount, this data champions globalization’s resilience and the imperative for multilateral engagement.