World Trade & Tech Day: AI and trade increasingly intertwined
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the enthusiastic interest from WTO members and the public generated by the event, noting that over 600 people had registered to attend in person and around the same number having registered to follow online.
"The AI revolution promises to transform the way we trade, by lowering trade costs and enhancing productivity growth, particularly in services. Trade is the backbone of the AI value chain, from cross-border data flows all the way back to critical minerals," she noted.
AI and trade growth have been going hand in hand, said the Director-General. She pointed out that global goods trade volume expanded by 4.6% last year, with an estimated 42% of that growth coming from trade in AI-related products. Trade is the backbone of the AI supply chain, she said.
"Semiconductors are designed in one country, fabricated in another; packaged and tested elsewhere; assembled into servers in a fourth country, and deployed in data centres worldwide. No trade, no compute," said the Director-General.
She pointed to the relevant rules of the WTO that are the pillars of AI development and deployment. They include: the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which removes tariffs from much of the equipment AI runs on; the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which underpins the services it depends on; the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement, which commits members to common standards; and the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, which shapes how technology is diffused and the way that intellectual property is protected.
But while those rulebooks remain key pillars of digital trade, she noted that they were developed long before the development of AI and LLMs. She expressed the hope that today's series of events and dialogues would help shape new policies and bring coherence across borders for regulatory frameworks.
A summary of the WTO Secretariat's work, programs and resources for members under the banner of "AI for Trade" can be found at: WTO | AI for Trade
In the Ministerial Dialogue at the start of the day, ministers from several small economies sounded an optimistic note about how AI can help countries like theirs to become more productive. The session highlighted examples of how AI is already being used to can enable small countries to compete on the world stage, particularly in services.
"AI will shape the next phase of global economic growth. Governments must help people and businesses seize these opportunities. The WTO can help support the stable trading environment that allows innovation to spread. If we each do our part well, AI will not become the privilege of the few. It will become a source of opportunity for the many," said Josephine Teo, Minister of Digital Development and Information of Singapore in pre-recorded introductory remarks.
"AI has huge potential in trade policy, much as in other fields, but we must work together to ensure benefits are felt across the board. Iceland's strategy on artificial intelligence and its AI Action Plan reflect society's opportunities and needs while taking into consideration ethical and security considerations," said Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Minister of Industries of Iceland, drawing on her experience representing a small country pushing for open markets.
"AI is already transforming the way we produce, trade and move goods. Looking ahead, countries should pursue a holistic approach that combines a balanced regulatory framework, robust digital connectivity, and sustained investment in talent development," said María Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy of El Salvador, noting how AI is supporting El Salvador's trade negotiations by assessing their impact on different sectors of the economy.
"In an economy increasingly driven by technology, data, talent and connected supply chains, AI offers Jamaica an opportunity to attract investment and expand high-value services and logistics," stated Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce of Jamaica, noting that his countries` drive to use AI to boost its human capital was similar to other neighbours in the Caribbean.
In addition to the Ministerial Dialogue, the programme included keynote speeches from two business leaders and a fireside chat with the Chief Technology Officer of Lenovo, a global technology leader.
Ren Ito Co-Founder and Chairman, Sakana AI, noted that AI is becoming the "decision layer" of the global economy; autonomous agents are beginning to manage supply chains end-to-end, AI-to-AI transactions are growing, and agentic systems are making procurement, compliance and logistics decisions that used to require teams of people. He encouraged the WTO and its members to develop an "AI Sovereignty Index" to help the international community learn lessons on AI diffusion, and to identify risks such as over-reliance on single models at the national level.
William Li, Founder, Chairman and CEO of NIO, drew on his experience in China's expanding electric vehicle market. Noting that cars are increasingly feeling like computers on wheels, he looked at how AI is reshaping automotive products, industry competition, and global value chains. He also shared perspectives on the role of standards, testing, international regulatory coordination and open collaboration in fostering trustworthy AI innovation, supporting high-quality growth, and facilitating international trade cooperation in the automotive industry.
Across the day, there were five other deep-dive policy sessions for participants to learn from. These included sessions on topics ranging from how low income and developing countries can better participate in the AI value chain to how IP and AI are improving the world-wide coffee production industry.
In addition to the policy sessions, 12 organizations, including customs agencies, shared case studies, providing real-world examples of how AI is used in trade, including, for example, in trade facilitation. These and other case studies are included in the new WTO database of trade-related AI use cases: WTO | AI for Trade in Action: Case studies
"It is still early to fully grasp all the implications of AI for international trade. But this much is clear: we have agency and the choices made today will have lasting consequences for inclusiveness, development, and economic opportunity," said WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill to conclude the event.
Background
The first-ever WTO World Trade & Tech Day aimed to explore how the potential of artificial intelligence can be translated into tangible trade and economic gains. The event provided a platform for dialogue among governments, industry and other stakeholders on practical measures, policies and partnerships that can support the effective and inclusive adoption of AI across economies. A full list of sessions can be found at World Trade and Tech Day 2026.
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