Why half the world’s trade is leaving the West behind?

A tectonic shift is underway in global shipping as South-South trade grows three times faster than the global average, while the maritime industry is witnessing nothing less than a wholesale redrawing of the world’s cargo map one that threatens to leave Western hubs watching from the sidelines.

South-South trade surged 8% in 2024-2025, dwarfing the 2.4% global average, according to UNCTAD’s latest Review of Maritime Transport. East Asia’s intra-regional flows jumped 10%, while African imports from developing economies climbed at the same blistering pace.