Global Trade Outlook 2025: Industry Insights
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Global Trade Outlook 2025: Industry Insights
Business leaders worldwide have shared crucial insights with ICC on key trade policy challenges, highlighting the need for predictability in global markets.
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What are businesses saying about trade policy?
Our recent industry consultations and roundtables reveal pressing concerns from the global business community:
- Businesses of all sizes emphasize that policy uncertainty is their greatest challenge for planning investments, managing supply chains and creating jobs
- Companies report that costly adaptations to trade restrictions are affecting innovation and profitability while providing no guaranteed protection against major disruptions
- Supply chain resilience efforts face practical constraints, including skilled worker shortages and limited supplier availability
What does business say is fundamental?
The following key priorities emerged from our consultations and roundtables:
- Active business participation in trade policy discussions to ensure industry perspectives are heard
- A strong rules-based trading system anchored in a fully functioning World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Stability and predictability for making informed long-term business decisions
How can we strengthen the trading system?
ICC calls for three concrete actions:
Governments should pursue complementary dialogue through plurilateral initiatives that can deliver tangible benefits.
WTO member states should reinvigorate multilateral trade talks by identifying practical areas where grand bargains could be secured to address major trade frictions.
Stakeholders should work to enhance negotiation mechanisms that can effectively address emerging trade challenges.
Download the full policy brief for more insights from our business consultations.
Connect with our trade experts to share your perspectives or learn more about ICC’s trade initiatives:
Valerie Picard, Head of Trade
Mélanie Laloum, Lead Economist
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