Washington. Bilateral trade between the US and China has reduced to only two percent of global trade, which was 2.7 percent in 2024. This information was given in a report released on Thursday. The latest DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026 said the disconnect between the world’s two largest economies continues despite overall globalization remaining strong. The study, released by DHL in partnership with New York University’s Stern School of Business, finds that global economic ties remain strong despite rising geopolitical tensions, tariffs and uncertainty over international trade policies. According to the report, trade between the US and China reached an all-time high of 3.6 percent of global trade in 2015. However, this share has been steadily declining in recent years, falling to 2.7 percent in 2024 and about 2 percent in the first three quarters of 2025. Cross-border business investment between the two countries is even lower, accounting for less than 1 percent of global investment flows. Despite the weakening of relations between Washington and Beijing, the report said globalization remains stable overall. Globally, connectedness is projected to be about 25 percent in 2025, which is on par with the record level seen in 2022. This index measures international flows of trade, capital, information and people on a scale from 0 to 100.
DHL Express CEO John Pearson said the findings show that countries and companies are able to maintain international relationships even in uncertain times. He said that major global challenges like poverty and climate change require cooperation and global thinking. The report also found that, barring unusual fluctuations during the COVID-19 pandemic, global trade growth in 2025 was faster than any year since 2017. Most of this increase was due to increased shipments ahead of the tariff increase in the US and increased demand for AI-related products. According to the World Trade Organisation, AI-related goods will contribute about 42 per cent of global goods trade growth during the first three quarters of 2025. The report forecasts that global trade will continue to expand, although at a moderate pace. Merchandise trade is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent through 2029, roughly in line with growth over the past decade.
