Experts gathered at the World Trade Forum 2026 in Doha to discuss strategies for reinforcing global trade amid ongoing challenges. The opening-day panel focused on rebuilding global value chains through investments in alternative shipping routes, transport infrastructure, and enhanced digital connectivity.

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that global trade demonstrated notable resilience despite successive disruptions, with trade in goods and services reaching a record $35 trillion last year. Goods trade grew by 3.5% in the first half of 2026, nearly doubling the WTO’s earlier forecast of 1.9% growth. She attributed this stronger performance to the efforts of businesses and policymakers in maintaining goods movement amid obstacles such as tariffs, unilateral trade measures, and instability in key maritime corridors.

Okonjo-Iweala stressed, however, that resilience alone was insufficient, calling for a transformation toward more robust trade systems capable of withstanding future shocks. She highlighted businesses’ growing reliance on alternative transportation methods—including pipelines, land bridges, and air freight—but noted that these alternatives increased shipping and logistics costs. Additional challenges such as port capacity constraints, unloading delays, and customs clearance bottlenecks further strained supply chains.

To address these issues, Okonjo-Iweala called for greater investment in ports, shipping facilities, land bridges, and berth capacity. She also urged reforms of WTO rules to enable faster and more transparent multilateral decision-making, underscoring that around 72% of global trade still operates under WTO frameworks despite rising disruptions.

John Denton, secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce, echoed concerns about uncertainty in trade policies and tariffs, which he said undermines investment and economic growth. Drawing on a survey of roughly 135 chambers of commerce globally, Denton identified unpredictability in trade rules as the primary obstacle preventing businesses from advancing beyond mere resilience. He argued that greater policy stability would encourage companies to make long-term decisions and expand operations.

Former CIA Director and KKR Global Institute chairman General David Petraeus placed these dynamics in the context of heightened geopolitical tension. He described a shift from frictionless globalization to an era characterized by increased competition among major powers, rising trade barriers, and regionalization. This has prompted companies to move from just-in-time supply chains toward just-in-case models that emphasize redundancy and diversification of sources.

Petraeus noted that Gulf countries are already investing in infrastructure to reduce reliance on vulnerable maritime chokepoints. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu and the UAE’s Fujairah port as notable examples of efforts to diversify transport routes. Petraeus further emphasized that private sector involvement is crucial for developing regional infrastructure in areas such as energy, data centers, semiconductor production, and other digital economy components.

He also pointed to the growing importance of digital connectivity alongside physical trade corridors, asserting that future trade networks will depend equally on data flows and traditional infrastructure.

The panel was moderated by Adrian Finighan, principal presenter at Al Jazeera English.