GENEVA AI-related goods and surging exports to the United States ahead of President Donald Trump's tariff hikes boosted global merchandise trade growth this year, the World Trade Organization has said However, the picture is bleaker for 2026, the WTO warned, as the impact of the U.S. tariffs kick in. The WTO raised its forecast for trade volume growth in 2025 to 2.4 percent, up from 0.9 percent in August, and cut its 2026 outlook from 1.8 percent to 0.5 percent. "Global merchandise trade