A. M. The World Trade Organization (WTO) presented its new report entitled “Trading with intelligence: How AI influences international trade and how it influences AI”, in which it analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on global trade. The paper highlights that AI can reduce trade costs, transform trade in digital services and redefine countries’ competitive advantages.
According to the WTO, AI adoption could improve key areas such as logistics, supply chains and regulatory compliance. This would facilitate the entry of small businesses and developing economies into global markets. For example, customs automation and risk prediction could significantly reduce barriers to trade.
In an optimistic scenario, with widespread adoption of AI and strong productivity growth, global trade could increase by nearly 14 percentage points by 2040. Likewise, digital services would experience growth of up to 18 points. However, in a more moderate scenario, the increase would be just 7%.
The report also warns of major risks such as the growing digital divide between rich and poor countries, and between large and small companies. Added to this is the lack of international coordination in AI regulation, which could further fragment global trade. Data governance and intellectual property rights are among the key challenges.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of the organization acting as a forum to push for a coordinated and equitable approach. The WTO can play a crucial role in ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared globally and that risks are managed jointly.
