Truck at the Port of Long Beach. (Eric Thayer\/Bloomberg)<\/p>\n
\n December 1, 2025 9:06 AM, EST<\/p>\n
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox<\/a>.]<\/p>\n Global merchandise trade slowed last quarter as the boost seen earlier this year from front-loading of orders ahead of U.S. tariffs<\/a> faded, the World Trade Organization said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The WTO\u2019s goods barometer dropped to 101.8 in September from 102.2 for June, the Geneva-based organization\u00a0said on Nov. 28. The baseline of 100 indicates growth over the next quarter that\u2019s in line with medium-term trends.<\/p>\n The data for air freight and container shipping \u201ccontinue to signal expansion,\u201d even as they weakened from June, \u201cindicating a cooling-off in the transportation of goods worldwide,\u201d the report said. The barometer\u2019s automotive and electronics indexes stabilized and agriculture stayed in contraction, while new export orders showed improvement.\n \t <\/p>\n \u201cOn balance, the indices show signs of moderation in global trade growth,\u201d the WTO said.\u00a0<\/p>\n President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs of 10% or higher on imports from most major trading partners disrupted international commerce through much of the year, spurring many American importers to front-load orders to avoid paying the import taxes, as well as shifting demand away from markets where the duties are the highest.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest WTO Goods Trade Barometer shows goods trade growth appears to have slowed in the second half of 2025, following a first-half surge from frontloaded imports aimed at avoiding expected tariff hikes and rising AI-related demand.<\/p>\n More: https:\/\/t.co\/MWfemVGJzG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/gxrmNZ1uRf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 WTO (@wto) November 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n U.S. goods imports from China, for instance, sank 22% through August this year, but year-to-date shipments from markets including Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan all gained more than 20%, according to data released in Washington this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the WTO\u2019s most recent forecast<\/a>, made on Oct. 7, world trade volume growth this year is\u00a0expected\u00a0to be 2.4%, slower than the 2.8% pace posted in 2024. The outlook for next year anticipates a sharp slowdown, to 0.5% growth, the organization said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Want more news? Listen to today’s daily briefing below\u00a0or go here for more info:<\/a><\/p>\n