ABUJA, Nigeria: The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated on July 30, 2026, that 72 per cent of global merchandise trade continues to flow under the organisation’s core tariffs despite policy uncertainties. The global trade leader noted that world merchandise trade expanded by 4.6 per cent, driven by demand for artificial intelligence-related goods offsetting weaknesses tied to tariff increases. Around 72 per cent of global goods trade continues to flow on core WTO most-favoured-nation tariffs,” she said. An additional 16 per cent of trade operates within the wider WTO framework through bilateral and regional agreements. Global goods trade volumes in 2025 reached levels over 12 per cent higher than in 2019, while services trade volumes were 31 per cent higher.