In the first quarter of 2026, the value of freight traffic of G20 nations saw a marked increase economic situation. Today, the Organization for Cooperation and Cooperation Economic Development (OECD) has announced that, despite the disruptions to trade related to the current crisis in Middle East, in the first three months of this year both exports whereas G20 imports expressed in US dollars are increased by +5.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 and driven in part by trade in semiconductors and other high-tech products in East Asia. Estimates preliminary reports indicate that, on the other hand, G20 trade in services is growth only slightly, with an increase in exports of +1.7% and imports by +1.5%.

In particular, in the first three months of this year in North America exports of goods from the USA increased by +9.3%, driven by non-monetary gold and petroleum products, while grew by +8.1%, partly reflecting higher purchases of computers and telecommunications equipment. The Canada's exports increased by +2.4% supported by energy products, in particular natural gas and crude oil, while imports, mainly concerning increased by +5.3%. To Mexico both exports that imports increased by +4.1%.

In the first three months of 2026, the economies of East Asia have experienced strong growth in trade. The Chinese exports increased by +13.5% driven by semiconductors and high-tech products, while imports grew by +16.7%, partly thanks to purchases of computer. Japanese exports increased by +5.9% supported by ships and non-ferrous metals, while imports are growth of +4.8% partly thanks to raw materials, minerals of non-ferrous metals and semiconductors. Korean exports are increased by +22.7% supported by semiconductors and wireless communication, while imports grew by +7.0% due to semiconductor purchases.

In the European Union, exports and imports have increased moderately, by +1.1% and +1.5% respectively. In detail, German exports and imports both increased of +1.9% partly due to the trade in precious stones and metals. Italian exports increased by +3.2%, driven by metals and pharmaceuticals, while imports are growth of +2.9%, particularly in the metals and cars. In the United Kingdom, exports increased by +3.0% and imports by +5.3%, partly thanks to trade with the European Union in the office machinery sector.

Brazil's exports remained substantially unchanged, while imports increased by +4.2%, especially in the household appliances and fertilizer sector.

With regard to international trade in services, in the first among the G7 economies, exports of services increased by +2.3% in the United States, driven by maintenance and repair, ICT and insurance services, while imports are growth of +2.5% due to higher spending on transport and intellectual property products. Similarly, in Canada exports increased by +1.9%, mainly supported by from higher revenues from travel and transport, while the increase in imports was more marked (+4.1%) thanks to increased spending on government and other services business services. Germany recorded growth exports of services (+4.6%), supported by tourism, insurance and financial services, while imports increased by +3.0% reflecting higher travel spending abroad. French exports of services remained stable given that the increased revenues from transport and travel were offset by lower revenues from services while imports decreased by -1.6%, in partly due to the reduction in payments for transport. The The United Kingdom recorded modest increases in both exports and of imports, with import growth driven by mainly from other business services. Exports of services sector decreased by -1.2%, mainly due to due to the decline in travel and property revenue while imports increased by +2.6% driven by transport and other business services. To the on the contrary, exports of services in Korea are abruptly increased (+6.4%), with strong revenues from travel, while imports decreased by -2.2% because the lower travel payments more than offset the larger transport costs (in particular freight transport). In Turkey, exports of services decreased by -7.2%, mainly due to insurance services and other services to businesses. In China, imports of services increased by +3.3%, partly due to higher transport payments and travel.