Economist Impact charts a new path for global trade at Davos in World Economy News 23/01/2026 As the global economy reaches an inflection point, Economist Impact has today launched the Future of Trade, a multi-year initiative designed to chart a roadmap for an era defined by fragmentation, rapid technological change, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Supported by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as a strategic partner, the Future of Trade was unveiled today at The Global Exchange, a half-day forum hosted at Davos and sponsored by the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The event brought together business leaders, policymakers, and economists to explore how geopolitical rivalries, trade policies and economic fragmentation are reshaping global commerce and investment. Today’s global trade landscape During the forum, John Ferguson, global head of trade and geopolitics and lead of the new Future of Trade initiative at Economist Impact, outlined the three key forces reshaping global trade systems today: rapid technological acceleration through AI and automation, escalating climate disruption, and intensifying geopolitical competition—together transforming how goods are designed and produced, destabilising supply chains and transport routes, and fragmenting global trade through a sharp rise in protectionist measures. “Global trade has moved from a focus on efficiency to a landscape defined by risk, rivalry and weaponisation,” said John Ferguson. “Our new Future of Trade initiative aims to provide leaders with evidence-based insights to move beyond reactive strategies and shape a system that delivers stability, growth, and opportunity for all.” Advancing an open and interconnected world The Future of Trade is Economist Impact’s response to an increasingly complex and volatile global trade environment, where trust in a multilateral, rules-based system is being tested by multipolarity. Through rigorous research and strategic convenings that bring together governments, businesses, academics and civil society, the initiative will generate independent, evidence-based insights designed to build consensus and identify practical pathways toward a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable global trade framework. The partnership with UNCTAD will elevate global debate and engagement, delivering high-quality data, analysis, and insights to advance an open global economy. Building on this mission, the Future of Trade research roadmap sets out to explore the critical flows shaping global commerce in an era of persistent uncertainty and disruption by focusing on three interlinked priorities: Multilateral trade and local democracy: Interrogating how trust can be rebuilt in a new trade order shaped by geopolitics, climate change, and an AI-driven industrial transformation by solving key questions such as “How do we restore the multilateral system in this new chapter of global trade?” and “What are the new rules, processes and structures needed to renew cooperation and trust?” Next generation trade: Examining how digital and environmental trade can be strengthened in an AI-driven global economy by addressing challenges such as “How can digital trade benefit all economies rather than a minority in advanced markets?” and “How do we strike the right balance between trade and environmental objectives to meet global climate goals?” Resilient trade networks: Exploring how AI-driven supply chains and trade networks can withstand an era of persistent uncert