25 February 2026

The global trade volume increased by 0.4% in December 2025 compared to November, which saw a 1.8% increase. This is evident from the monthly CPB World Trade Monitor. On the import side, Eastern Europe (3.8%), the United States (3.6%), and developed Asia (1.6%) showed increases. Conversely, imports from Latin America (-2.2%), emerging Asia (-1.7%), and the United Kingdom (-1.5%) decreased. On the export side, Eastern Europe (6.3%) and developed Asia (3.7%) showed increases. Exports from Japan (-3.9%) and the United States (-3.3%) declined. 

The CPB World Trade Monitor (WTM) is an instrument for bringing together, aggregating, and summarizing worldwide monthly data on international trade and industrial production.

In the WTM, ‘trade’ is trade in goods (also referred to as ‘merchandise trade’). ‘Production’ is industrial production, that is: value added in mining, manufacturing, and utilities (also referred to as ‘industry excluding construction’).

The production monitor covers 85 countries worldwide. These countries account for about 97% of global industrial production. The trade monitor covers 81 countries. Coverage of world trade is almost 99%.

Global developments in international trade and industrial production, December 2025:

  • The global trade volume increased by 0.4% in December compared to November, following a 1.8% increase in October (initial estimate: 2.2%).
  • The momentum of world trade was 0.6% in December (not annualized; momentum November: 1.1%, initial estimate was 1.2%).
  • Global industrial production increased by 0.7% in December compared to November (November development: 0.4%, initial estimate: -0.6%).
  • The momentum of global industrial production was 0.9% in December (not annualized; momentum November: 0.9%, initial estimate was 0.6%).

The next monthly CPB World Trade Monitor for the reporting month January 2026 will be published on 25 March 2026 at 12:00.

The CPB publishes the World Trade Monitor monthly on behalf of the European Commission as an instrument to monitor the development of world trade. It takes two months before the figures are available. The next CPB World Trade Monitor for the reporting month January 2026 will be published on 25 March 2026. For questions, contact wtm@cpb.nl.

Also read the accompanying CPB background document The CPB World Trade Monitor: technical description (update 2023). If you wish, we can send you an email when a new update of the CPB World Trade Monitor is published. To subscribe to the alert service, register on the registration page for Publications for policymakers.

The World Trade Monitor is co-financed by DG ECFIN (Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission).