Global trade is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades. Despite tariff tumult, geopolitical tensions and AI acceleration, global trade continues to grow. New research from the McKinsey Global Institute finds international trade isn’t slowing down, it’s just realigning.
McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal and McKinsey Partner Jeongmin Seong explore the forces reshaping global trade, investment and business strategy in 2026. They explain how much of that trade growth came from AI, how China’s role is evolving, and the rise of ASEAN economies as global supply chain connectors.
This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series.