Globalization Reconfigures as World Trade Withstands Protectionism – Trade News | 15/03/26

Global trade continues to show resilience despite the rise of protectionism and geopolitical tensions, according to the DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026, which indicates that global connectedness remained strong over the past year and matched the record level reached in 2022, demonstrating that international flows of goods, capital, information, and people remain active and that globalization is not retreating but rather adapting to a new phase marked by risk diversification and technological momentum, particularly driven by the growth of artificial intelligence. Although the report confirms that the U.S.–China decoupling is advancing and their bilateral trade has fallen to around 2% of global trade, the global system shows no signs of structural fragmentation, but rather a reorganization of trade routes and supply chains as companies seek to balance efficiency, resilience, and new technological dynamics. Link to Article