World Trade Organization

After strong goods trade growth in H1 2026, driven by AI and resilient supply chains, WTO economists updated 2026-27 forecasts. But the resilience will be uneven with services trade and the Middle East more impacted by the conflict. Watch the press conference highlights. More: https://bit.ly/4dpdSzt #GlobalTradeOutlook

What started as a technology education initiative in Karak in 2018 has grown into an EdTech business with ambitions to reach learners, teachers and schools across Jordan and the Arab region. Eng. Thelal Shmailah, founder of Easy Robot Kit, is helping children and young people move from being consumers of technology to becoming creators and innovators. Through the WEIDE programme, she has strengthened her approach to digital content, customer engagement and business growth. Her personal social media platforms have also become an important channel for reaching new audiences, growing from around 2,000 followers in March 2026 to approximately 176,000 today. Now, Thelal is looking beyond Jordan. 💬 “We started from Karak, but our market—and our impact—does not have to end there.” Read the full interview with Thelal here: https://bit.ly/47dD9t2 The #WEIDEFund is an initiative launched in 2024 by the WTO Secretariat and International Trade Centre, funded by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and implemented in Jordan in partnership with the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation المؤسسة الأردنية لتطوير المشاريع الإقتصادية.

⏰ Registration for the 10th #Aid4Trade Global Review closes TODAY. Highlights of this year's Review will include a Presidential Lecture from President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire on the role of investment & public-private partnerships in driving sustainable development & economic growth. Register now: https://bit.ly/4wuaYzS

Meet the new Chair of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation: Kun Cheng of China. WPDR is the forum where WTO members negotiate disciplines to ensure that domestic regulation measures do not constitute unnecessary barriers to trade in services. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3G4azjG

⏰ Registration closes TOMORROW! Join the 10th #Aid4Trade Global Review 2026 at WTO headquarters in Geneva to explore trade’s role in supporting development, building partnerships and helping developing economies realize their trade potential. Register Now: https://bit.ly/4wuaYzS

Global trade proved more resilient than expected in the first half of 2026 despite the disruption caused by the Middle East conflict, as supply chains adapted and strong investment in artificial intelligence provided a powerful boost to goods trade. However, the resilience was not uniform, with services trade and some regions more exposed to the effects of the conflict. WTO economists have therefore raised the forecast for merchandise trade growth in 2026 while lowering the outlook for services trade. More about the latest #GlobalTradeOutlook: https://bit.ly/4dpdSzt

Latest #GlobalTradeOutlook: Despite the Middle East conflict, resilient supply chains and AI investment are lifting the 2026 goods trade forecast. But the resilience is uneven, with the services trade outlook moderating and regional impacts diverging. More: https://bit.ly/4dpdSzt

Save the date: 29 October During the #Aid4Trade Global Review, President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 will deliver a Presidential Lecture on how investment and public-private partnerships can drive sustainable development and economic growth. Join us: https://bit.ly/4wuaYzS

On #WorldCottonDay, revisit #WTOMC14 in Cameroon, where African cotton was spotlighted from field to factory, fashion to football. See how cotton supports global trade & creates opportunities for African countries to move up the value chain. #WTOCotton: https://bit.ly/2DVAUy7