Global Trade Soars Past $35 Trillion in 2025, Defying Tariffs & Fueled by AI Boom

• Global trade is projected to reach a record $35 trillion in 2025, growing 7% despite US tariffs, driven by strong demand for AI and semiconductors.
• China reported a historic $1 trillion trade surplus in the first 11 months of 2025, with exports to EU, ASEAN, and Africa offsetting a decline to the US.
• Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia significantly benefited from the AI-driven semiconductor boom, with Taiwan revising its 2025 growth forecast to a 15-year high of 7.37%.
• Singapore also saw a tech upswing, attracting major investments in advanced packaging and wafer plants, strengthening its role in the AI supply chain.
• Concerns remain about sustaining momentum beyond tech, potential global slowdown, US trade policy uncertainty on semiconductors, and over-reliance on tech for some economies.

Why It Matters: Global trade thrives past $35T in 2025, driven by tech, but faces future uncertainties.