Artificial intelligence could boost the value of cross-border flows of goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 thanks to productivity gains and lower trade costs, a report by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has found. The 2025 World Trade Report suggests AI could lead to “significant increases in trade and GDP by 2040”, with global trade projected to rise by 34-37%, depending on different degrees of policy and technological catch-up between global economies. “Trade itself can be a powerful enabler for an inclusive AI transformation,” she added, with estimates showing global trade in AI-enabling goods – including raw materials, semiconductors and intermediate inputs – totalled US$2.3tn in 2023. Larger firms primarily use AI for compliance with trade regulations, contract analysis and trade finance, it adds. Trade finance implicationsThe World Trade Report also highlights that “digital trade finance platforms are leveraging AI to assess credit risks more accurately, thereby helping small businesses gain access to capital that was previously out of reach”.