Global trade in 2017 grew 10.5 percent from the previous year to $17.32 trillion, marking the first rise in three years due to higher energy prices and robust demand for semiconductor-related products, according to a report by a Japan trade body released Monday.
The world's trade value marked double-digit growth for the first time since 2011, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a government-supported entity, said in its 2018 report on trade and investment.
The growth, measured in the value of exports, came despite concerns about rising protectionism that has cast a shadow over the global economic outlook since the January 2017 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who advocates an "America First" agenda.