Global trade grew in 2025, despite the implementation of high tariffs by the United States, according to two reports. The WTO's latest global trade outlook found a 4.6% growth in global goods trade last year, largely due to the rise of AI-related products and front-loading by U.S. importers to avoid tariffs. This growth was attributed to China's shift from the US to Europe and emerging markets, and a surge in semiconductors and related products. However, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and the destruction of oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Middle East have posed a new challenge to global commerce, threatening the flow of energy and fertilizer.