AI Boom Masks Global Trade Disruption Risks, WTO Chief Says

The World Trade Organization said trade in AI-related products is masking the negative effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other trade disruptions. According to Sina Finance, WTO data showed that in the first quarter of 2026, trade in AI-related goods such as semiconductors, chemicals, and industrial equipment rose 42% year on year, while trade in non-AI goods increased 7%. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in Geneva that AI-related trade is masking tariffs and other shocks facing global trade. She warned that if the AI rally is a bubble, the trade growth will not be sustainable, and said it remains necessary to watch how long the growth engine can last.