The Fastest Growing Trading Nations

The traditional leaders in absolute trade volumes, the United States, China, India, South Korea, are well known. Less visible are the fifteen fastest-growing trading nations, which are quietly expanding their footprints in world trade.

Spread across Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania, they show how trade still binds economies together – even in today’s fragmented world order.

Their growth stories differ: some shaped by fossil fuel discoveries, others by geopolitical realignments, and still others by the rising demand for critical minerals. An analysis of DHL’s Trade Atlas 2025 helps us make sense of these shifts.

Country Takeaways (2019–2024):

• Guyana (31%) – Trade boom powered by new offshore oil exports, transforming it into one of South America’s fastest-growing economies.
• Armenia (20%) – Growth fueled by re-exports to Russia after sanctions disrupted traditional supply chains.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (16%) – Driven by demand for copper and cobalt, critical inputs for EVs, batteries, and renewable technologies.
• Kyrgyzstan (16%) – Boosted by re-exports and regional trade shifts with Russia and neighbours, as sanctions rerouted flows through Central Asia.
• Zimbabwe (14%) – Trade growth linked to mineral exports (gold, platinum, nickel) and a rebound in agricultural commodities.
• Liberia (13%) – Expansion rooted in shipping and mineral exports, with its flag-of-convenience registry amplifying maritime trade flows.
• Côte d’Ivoire (11%) – Growth anchored in cocoa exports (world’s largest producer) alongside rising shipments of cashew and rubber.
• Tajikistan (10%) – Trade lifted by gold and aluminium exports, plus labour remittances-driven imports shaping consumer demand.
• Jordan (9%) – Growth supported by pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and re-exports, aided by regional trade agreements in the Middle East.
• Rwanda (9%) – Powered by exports of gold, tin, and tantalum, coupled with a rising role in regional logistics.
• Albania (9%) – Trade expansion tied to oil, minerals, and energy exports, alongside integration with the EU market.
• Kiribati (9%) – Growth linked less to goods than to fishing rights and shipping registry services, shaping its trade profile.
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines (8%) – Boosted by agriculture (bananas, root crops) and niche services-related re-exports in the Caribbean.
• Mongolia (8%) – Trade flows shaped by copper, coal, and mineral exports to China, with mining as the dominant driver. 
• Guinea (8%) – Growth underpinned by bauxite exports, the backbone of global aluminium production.

Taken together, the top 15 fastest-growing trading nations are scattered across Africa (DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Guinea), Asia (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Jordan, Mongolia), Latin America & the Caribbean (Guyana, St. Vincent), Europe (Albania), and Oceania (Kiribati). This geographic spread underlines how trade growth is not confined to the giants, but instead pulses through smaller and more peripheral economies that often rise on the back of natural resources, geopolitical shifts, or niche exports.

At a time when debates about the retreat of globalisation dominate discourse and trade tensions escalate, these cases remind us that trade continues to expand, reshaping supply chains, creating new winners, and connecting distant corners of the world. The global trade map remains deeply interconnected!

Note: The rankings are based on the growth rate of total trade flows — the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of each country’s combined exports and imports. This measure highlights how fast trade is expanding, not the absolute size of trade.

Large economies such as the U.S., China, or India lead in overall trade volumes, but smaller economies with sharp surges in exports or imports can top the growth rankings.

Source: DHL Trade Atlas 2025

Research and Visualisation: Aneesh Anand