Global trade is forecast to fall by a record 27% in the second quarter of the year after a slump in the export of cars, machine parts and oil.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the supply and demand for products across the world leading to a severe decline in world trade, said Unctad, the United Nations organisation that tracks trade flows.
Almost every category of goods is expected to suffer a fall in trade over the coming months, adding to a 3% decline in the first quarter of the year.
Unctad said the data revealed the huge shock to the global economy from the Covid-19 pandemic.
China was the first country to report a decline in trade ahead of a lockdown put in place by the authorities in Beijing in February. The rest of the developed world followed in March when similar lockdowns were announced.