Kathmandu. The World Trade Organization (WTO) stated in its latest data released on Friday that global merchandise trade growth in the first quarter of 2026 has exceeded expectations.The trade in electrical equipment related to artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly increased, balancing the negative impact of the Middle East conflict.According to the data, in the first quarter of this year, seasonally adjusted global merchandise trade volume increased by 1.9 percent compared to the previous quarter and 3.2 percent year-on-year.In terms of value, global merchandise trade increased by two percent compared to the previous quarter and by 11 percent compared to the...