Global AI-related product trade hit $4.18 trillion in 2025, contributing 42% of trade growth: report

On September 23, 2026, at the Fifth Forum on Digital Trade and Rule of Law, the Institute of Policy and Economics under the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) released the Annual Observation Report on Global Digital Economic and Trade Rules (2026).

The report says AI is accelerating the reshaping of global digital trade, making rule-building and coordination more urgent. In 2025, global trade in AI-related products reached $4.18 trillion, up 21.9% year on year, contributing 42% of total growth in global trade. It also warns that model training and API calls bring new risks such as data security and technological sovereignty, while related rules lag behind and remain fragmented. Currently, AI governance relies mainly on soft rules and is moving toward more flexible new digital technology and trade arrangements to promote cooperation and regulatory coordination.