Global trade’s rollercoaster ride M. Ayhan KoseAlen Mulabdic December 11, 2025 This page in: English Español العربية 中文 © 2026 The World Bank Group,

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/developmenttalk/global-trade-s-rollercoaster-ride Global trade has proved resilient amid rising protectionism and geopolitical tension, leavened by regional integration and new trade agreements. After decades of steady expansion that powered global growth and lifted millions out of poverty, the system underpinning cross-border trade has come under strain. Even before the eruption of trade tensions between major economies earlier this year, trade-restrictive measures had reached unprecedented levels. Today, the combination of pandemic-era supply-chain disruptions, resurgent protectionism, and intensifying geopolitical tensions has created a far more uncertain environment for global trade.