Hundreds of participants gathered at the WTO for World Trade & Tech Day
on 14 September, a sign of how AI is fundamentally changing the way cross-border
commerce is evolving. Under the banner of "AI and Trade: Turning Potential
into Progress", the day consisted of a full day of panel discussions and other
knowledge-sharing opportunities aimed at fostering conversations on technology and
trade. The event shone a spotlight on how AI and frontier technologies are making
international trade more efficient, bringing together government leaders as well
as academics and private sector representatives to discuss ways to harness AI's
potential into tangible economic gains and an engine for inclusive growth.
·
Flagship Event: Hundreds of participants gathered at the WTO on September 14, 2026,
for the inaugural World Trade & Tech Day under the theme "AI and
Trade: Turning Potential into Progress."
·
Economic Impact: WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that global goods
trade expanded by 4.6% last year, with 42% of that growth driven by AI-related
products, emphasizing that trade is the backbone of the AI supply chain.
·
Key WTO Pillars for AI: The Director-General highlighted foundational WTO rulebooks supporting
AI, including the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), GATS, TBT, and TRIPS agreements,
while noting the need for modern regulatory coherence.
·
Global Perspectives: Ministerial leaders from small economies (including Singapore, Iceland,
El Salvador, and Jamaica) discussed leveraging AI to boost productivity, enhance
services, and expand high-value logistics.
·
Industry Insights: Tech and automotive leaders—such as Ren Ito (Sakana AI) and William
Li (NIO)—shared insights on autonomous agents managing supply chains and the rise
of AI-driven automotive global value chains.
·
New Resources: The WTO launched new tools, including the "AI for Trade"
resource database and a collection of real-world case studies showcasing AI in trade
facilitation and customs agencies.
[ABS News Service/15.09.2026]
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.
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.