Global Exports: Forecasts, Barriers, Trends and Solutions

17 November 2025

Global trade continues to grow steadily despite geopolitical instability and increased customs tariffs from the US. Analysts predict that international trade will grow at an average annual rate of 3.1% from 2024 to 2029 (DHL Trade Atlas 2025 report).

Political and economic barriers and forecasts

The main newsmaker in global trade today is the US: advocating a speedy resolution of political and military conflicts, as well as radically restructuring the system of international economic relations, the US claims to be the global game-changer these days.

However, despite the fact that the US occupies 13% of world imports and 9% of exports, which makes it an important player, it is not enough to fully control world trade. Although the US imposes customs restrictions, this may result in stronger trade ties between other regions.

Development projections by region:

1. Asia

• China: Shift from traditional exports to high-tech exports, growth in exports of electric vehicles and batteries
• India: Growth in exports of pharmaceuticals, educational technologies, textiles
• Vietnam and Malaysia: Top beneficiaries of supply chain realignment

2. Europe

• Significant investment in green technology, artificial intelligence and clean energy imports
• Active implementation of carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs)

3. Americas

• USA: Rebuilding semiconductor and clean energy supply chains
• LATAM: Growth in agro-exports, lithium mining and drone imports

Global Export Trends

Digitalization is much more than a buzzword; it is the foundation of global economic success, playing a central role in export strength.

A commitment to digitalization is not just a reaction to competition, it should be seen as a strategic goal to ensure future viability and open new markets.

Trend 1. Globalization is not dead, while digitalization is gaining strategic importance

The scale of global trade is such that even if governments adopt protectionist measures en masse, it is unlikely to collapse. Among the key drivers of future global trade are the following:

• China, the U.S., Germany, Vietnam, India and the U.S. are key players to both production and consumption trends.
• The green transition, digital transformation and health orientation define the fastest growing product segments in global trade.
• The world’s food supply is threatened by climate change, protectionism and wars.
• Businesses that embrace sustainability, automation, digitalization and localization will happen more likely to be globally successful in world trade.

Exporters who position themselves digitally at an early stage can benefit from pioneering advantages and thus maintain and expand their market position.

Solution to take: Digital tools for proactive new market researches and aggressive prospecting like EasyBusiness are the best way to adapt to the ongoing globalization and digitalization of world trade.

Business case: Ukraine’s Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development used EasyBusiness to urgently reorganize its efforts to identify new export opportunities for Ukrainian exporters in the face of a challenging military, political and economic environment under Russian invasion.

Trend 2. Changes in buying behavior require the digitalization of exporters’ online presence

Online B2B platforms and marketplaces with solutions for better visibility in international markets provide direct digital access to customers and make international marketing easier.

Solution to take: Visibility digitizing options – such as Booster packages by Kompass – allow exporters to enter new markets without a physical presence in the country and make their products and services available to a wider audience around the world by communicating with them in their language in a virtual showcase.

Business case: Taiwanese company Ku Ping Enterprise Co., Ltd., an international leader in soldering products, created an inspiring online presentation based on the Booster International package and thereby attracted the attention of its uncovered target audience worldwide.

Trend 3. Competence redefining and investing in the digital skills of employees

Digitalization requires exporters to rethink their approach to sales processes. It is important that they are ready to adapt their business models as well as invest in digital capabilities. This includes both process optimization and employee training. Employees must learn how to work with new technologies and implement them effectively in their work processes.

Solution to take: You can use the digital features of the Sales Accelerator module to engage with customers, conduct customized marketing and improve the customer experience. Digital technology speeds up export-related processes, reducing turnaround time and improving overall efficiency.

Business case: Spanish beverage manufacturer Proex Drinks Group equipped its sales team with the essential Kompass digital tools and solutions for effective B2B lead generation and contacting ideal potential customers in different countries. Thanks to the digitalization of the sales pipeline, the company’s employees were able to optimize their prospecting processes with a smart and scalable strategy.

How good are Kompass solutions for exporters?

Kompass solutions are designed to give you a real competitive advantage and help both existing exporters and beginners target new markets, identify the right partners and increase global brand awareness.

Our strong points:

• Gain access to a continuously updated database of 2.8 million exporters and importers across 70 countries: Explore promising markets and connect with new buyers – no more wasting time and effort on time-consuming conversions.
• Use 60 intelligent search filters and AI-powered advanced semantic search features to conduct more precise targeting in foreign markets and access contacts for confident communication (33.5 million phone numbers, 14.8 million emails, 19 million websites).
• Don’t waste time on routine data processing and formatting – generate lead marketing lists in a few clicks and export them to .csv and .pdf files, or directly to your own CRM using our special connectors.
• Run an effective multi-lingual digital presentation of your brand and create SEO-driven content online so you can grow globally with less risk and more clear results.

Final Take

The outlook for exporters in the coming years is quite optimistic: global trade continues to show resilience due to the enormous economic benefits it continues to bring to all countries. Even if the U.S. restricts international cooperation, other nations are unlikely to follow suit, as trade disruption could further damage smaller economies.

Digitalization is having a significant impact on global exports, shaping new opportunities and challenges for business. On the one hand, digital technologies simplify international trade, reduce transaction costs and open access to new markets. On the other hand, digitalization creates competition for companies using digital platforms and requires exporters to adapt to the new environment.

Our digital B2B marketplace Kompass.com is an online platform for finding partners abroad, closing foreign trade deals and managing your sales pipeline. We help exporters to develop a reliable customer database and provide digital smart solutions and tools for international online marketing and brand promotion.