Aid for Trade has mobilized $795 billion in 20 years

WTO and OECD opened the 2026 Global Review of Aid for Trade on October 29 and launched a 20-year report. It says roughly $795 billion since 2006 has helped developing economies build infrastructure, productive capacity, skills and trade institutions. Their share of global merchandise exports rose from 38% in 2006 to nearly half, while their share of services exports increased from one quarter to one third. Progress is uneven: African economies and least-developed countries still hold only about 3% and 1% of global exports. Development finance is tightening, and the report estimates bilateral Aid for Trade could fall about 22% between 2024 and 2026. Aid for Trade represents roughly one fifth of official development assistance, so the next phase emphasizes targeting scarce funds and mobilizing private finance. Export-share changes do not prove causality on their own; global demand, industrial policy and commodity prices also shape outcomes.