Is your business in Morocco ready for international growth? To sell to the world, you need to understand the world, specifically, which markets promise the most prosperous opportunities. And that’s why the all-new DHL Trade Atlas 2026 is an invaluable tool…
Produced in partnership with the New York University Stern School of Business, the Atlas analyzes a wealth of data from around the world to map the shifting landscape of global trade.
To help readers pinpoint business opportunities, the DHL Trade Atlas 2026 features data-backed insights, covering nearly 200 countries and territories.
This edition arrives at a pivotal time, with international trade tensions dominating the headlines. Yet, the Atlas highlights positive signals on the horizon.
Global trade is forecast to grow at a modestly faster pace over the next five years than during the preceding decade. Furthermore, President Trump’s proposed tariff increases are not likely to reverse the growth of global trade. Even if all proposed U.S. tariff increases come into effect and other countries retaliate in turn, global trade is still expected to grow over the next five years, albeit at a much slower pace.
Some trends remain largely unchanged from the previous edition of the Atlas; trade flows continue to stretch out over longer distances, and the superpowers of China, the U.S. and India are set to retain their leading trade growth positions. But there are new hotspots of opportunity emerging, with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines expected to rank highly for speed and scale of growth over the next 5 years.
For Morocco, global trade continues to expand across longer distances, with key export corridors through the Port of Tangier Med linking Moroccan automotive, textile, and agricultural goods to major growth markets and emerging economies, as mentioned above, where demand and trade opportunities are accelerating.
The resilience of trade in a turbulent global business environment is evident. The results highlighted in this report suggest that decision-makers should prepare to seize opportunities and manage risks in an increasingly complex global trade environment.
With maps, charts and other data visualizations to bring the facts to life, the report serves as a unique resource for emerging trade opportunities, helping your business to focus its international growth strategy on the most promising and prosperous markets.
Plan your cross-border growth strategy with the DHL Trade Atlas 2026.
If you’re looking to – or already do – ship internationally, this report is essential reading. Brought to you by the world’s most international company, it reflects DHL's position at the heart of global trade and their commitment to help customers identify the most prosperous markets for expansion.
Download the report nowDHL Trade Atlas 2026: 10 Key Takeaways
1. Faster forecast growth, greater uncertainty
Global trade is forecast to grow at a modestly faster pace over the next five years than during the preceding decade. However, record high uncertainty about future trade policies clouds the outlook.
2. Trump tariff impact
Not all tariffs proposed by the Trump administration in 2025 were implemented exactly as initially proposed, as a series of legal battles and negotiations led to significant revisions. According to 2026 trade outlooks, even with renewed tariff pressures and tighter trade policies from major economies like the U.S. and China, global trade is still expected to expand, though at a slower pace, as supply chains adapt and countries like Morocco continue strengthening alternative trade corridors through hubs like the Port of Tangier Med to maintain export momentum.
3. Made-in-China content finding new routes to U.S.
The share of U.S. imports coming directly from China continues to fall, but U.S. reliance on made-in-China content has not declined substantially. U.S. imports from other countries contain more inputs from China, and U.S. direct imports from China may be underreported.
4. Global geopolitical shifts limited
By 2026, geopolitical shifts have slowed but not fragmented global trade entirely, with around 72% of global merchandise trade still operating under WTO MFN rules. Meanwhile, supply chains continue to diversify, as seen in the 29% drop in U.S. imports from China in 2025, driving trade growth toward alternative markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
5. Recent growth leaders
Three countries ranked among the top 30 worldwide on both the speed (growth rate) and the scale (absolute amount) of their goods trade volume growth over the past five years: the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Ireland.
6. Forecast future growth leaders
During the next five years, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are forecast to rank among the top 30 for both speed and scale of trade growth. India also stands out as the country with the third largest absolute amount of forecast trade growth (6% of additional global trade), behind only China (12%) and the U.S. (10%).
7. Standout regions
South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia are forecast to achieve much faster trade volume growth than all other regions from 2024 to 2029. However, slower-growing Europe is forecast to generate a larger share (30%) of the world’s total trade growth. High-income economies are forecast to generate 58% of trade growth, while low- and middle-income economies generate 42%. For Morocco, Europe remains the key trade driver, accounting for 64.9% of total exports, particularly in automotive, phosphates, and textiles. Meanwhile, Morocco’s goods exports are projected to grow 12.9% in 2026, strengthening its role as a strategic trade gateway between Europe, Africa, and emerging Asian markets.
8. Long distance trade going strong
Contrary to predictions of disruptions leading to more regionalized trade patterns, trade took place over the longest average distance on record during the first nine months of 2024 (5,000 km). By 2026, global trade continues to span longer distances, with the average shipment traveling 5,010 km in 2025, the highest on record, showing supply chains remain deeply interconnected. Meanwhile, intra-regional trade holds at just 51%, reinforcing that cross-continental trade still drives much of global commerce.
9. Trade leaders by sector
Most trade is in manufactured goods, but price increases have boosted the value of trade in mineral fuels. From 2017 to 2022, the categories with the largest increases in the value of goods traded were mineral fuels, electrical machinery and equipment, industrial machinery, and pharmaceuticals. By 2026, manufactured goods still dominate global trade, but price pressures, especially in energy markets, continue to elevate the value of mineral fuels, which remain one of the fastest-growing trade categories. Alongside this, demand for electrical machinery, industrial equipment, and pharmaceuticals continues to grow steadily, reflecting ongoing industrial expansion and supply chain modernization across global markets.
10. Large headroom for trade growth
Even after decades of increases in the integration of the world economy via trade, only 21% of the value of all goods and services produced around the world ultimately ends up in a different country from where it was produced. There is still very large potential for future trade growth.
Plan your cross-border growth strategy with the DHL Trade Atlas 2026.
If you’re looking to – or already do – ship internationally, this report is essential reading. Brought to you by the world’s most international company, it reflects DHL's position at the heart of global trade and their commitment to help customers identify the most prosperous markets for expansion.
Download the report now
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