Santander’s 2026 Global Trade Barometer, published on November 12, found that 52% of international or aspiring international firms in the surveyed markets already use AI in some aspect of international trade.
The study is based on quantitative research by H/Advisors among 6,059 business decision-makers across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and the United States. Fieldwork ran from August 10 to September 14, 2026.
The full report says 17% consider AI embedded across their trade operations, while 35% use it in some areas. Another 26% are piloting or trialling AI tools.
The U.S. results give a clearer view of the work AI is doing. Santander US said 70% of U.S. business leaders in the survey reported that AI has already helped with market analysis, 66% with competitive intelligence and 58% with regulatory information as they pursue international growth.
Adoption is not evenly spread. In the global report, current AI use in relation to trade is 35% among firms with 10 to 49 employees, 47% among firms with 50 to 249 employees and 62% among firms with 250 or more employees. By revenue, current use is 44% among firms under $13.3 million and 63% among firms at $134 million or more.
Trade appetite remains strong despite uncertainty
AI is gaining this role while firms remain broadly upbeat about cross-border growth. Santander said 59% of businesses expect revenue to increase over the next 12 months, compared with 50% that reported growth over the previous year. Over three years, 78% are positive about growth prospects.
Internationally active firms were more optimistic than domestic-only companies: 69% expect revenue to rise over the next 12 months, compared with 53% of domestic-only businesses. The report also found that 55% of firms say international trade has become more important to growth plans, while 4% say it has become less important.
The appetite is not limited to current exporters. Santander said 59% of businesses that do not currently export are considering international expansion within three years, rising to 74% in Latin America. Ana Botín, Banco Santander’s executive chair, framed the result this way: “Businesses are not abandoning international trade. They are changing how they engage with it.”
Optimism is paired with governance concerns
Businesses also attach sizable expectations to AI’s trade role. The report says 64% believe AI will enable them to serve more markets, 62% believe it will improve their ability to compete against overseas rivals, 60% believe it will let them enter new markets faster and 59% expect it to reduce the cost of exporting or trading internationally.
Those expectations come with risk signals. Santander’s report says 56% of firms say data sovereignty concerns affect their approach to AI adoption, while 51% view over-reliance on AI providers based overseas as a business risk. Nearly a third, 31%, see errors in compliance or trade documentation as a risk.
Among international firms, 31% said they would benefit from support with regulatory requirements, 28% with customs procedures and 27% with AI integration. The numbers place AI integration close to core trade-compliance needs rather than in a separate technology bucket.
Canada appears as an opportunity market, not a survey market
Canada was not one of the surveyed markets, so the findings should not be read as Canadian business sentiment. Still, it appears repeatedly in Santander’s country snapshots as an opportunity market for companies elsewhere.
Among U.S. firms surveyed, Canada ranked second as a top opportunity market at 30%, behind the United Kingdom at 36%. Canada also ranked second among Mexican firms at 34% and tied with Australia for second among U.K. firms at 19%. Chilean firms ranked Canada third at 27%, while Brazilian firms ranked Canada fourth at 21%.
That does not forecast actual trade volumes or investment flows. It does show that Canada is visible in expansion planning among several surveyed markets at a time when businesses are pairing international ambition with AI-supported research and partner discovery.
The findings match a wider AI-trade pattern
Santander’s survey captures how firms say they are using AI inside trade planning. A separate October report from the World Trade Organization shows AI affecting trade flows themselves.
WTO economists raised their 2026 merchandise trade volume forecast to 3.9%, from a March forecast of 1.9%, and projected 4.1% growth in 2027. The WTO said demand for AI-enabling goods such as semiconductors and servers accounted for 47% of the growth in global merchandise trade value in the first half of 2026. The value of trade in those products rose 67% year over year.
The two findings measure different things. The WTO data is about physical goods moving through global trade. Santander’s survey is about AI adoption by businesses making trade decisions. Together, they show AI influencing both what gets traded and how companies plan cross-border activity.
What the report suggests for trade planning
Santander’s findings do not prove that AI adoption produces trade growth. The study measures reported use, expectations and investment plans, not audited outcomes.
Firms using AI for market research, regulatory screening or competitive analysis still need reliable data, human review, country-specific expertise and trusted local relationships.
For smaller firms, the competitive question is whether AI lowers the cost of early market research faster than larger firms can turn better resources into advantage. Santander’s size and revenue data suggest bigger companies are ahead on adoption. If that lead holds, digital readiness may become part of export readiness.
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