By NAN Business Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Sept. 8, 2026: Digital trade is emerging as one of the fastest-growing areas of international commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean, with exports of digitally delivered services surging nearly fivefold over the past two decades to $87.7 billion.
The findings come from a new report released today by the Inter-American Development Bank, (IDB), World Bank Group and World Trade Organization, (WTO), which examines the expansion of trade ordered or delivered through digital channels and the opportunities still available to countries across the region. According to the report, Digital Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean: Connecting Markets, Powering Growth, exports of digitally delivered services climbed from just $18.5 billion in 2005 to $87.7 billion in 2024.
Yet despite that rapid expansion, Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for only 2 percent of global exports of digitally delivered services in 2024, pointing to substantial room for further growth. Under a scenario combining continued technological advances with an improved policy environment, the report estimates that digitally deliverable services exports could grow by as much as 7.9 percent annually through 2040.
Caribbean Economies See Opportunity
For Caribbean economies, the shift toward digitally delivered services could be particularly important because businesses can increasingly reach international customers without many of the geographic and transportation constraints traditionally associated with small island markets.
The report finds that digital services are lowering barriers to international markets and creating opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs and women-led firms, while artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could further expand cross-border trade.
Foreign direct investment into digitally enabled industries is also helping build capabilities across the region, although significant gaps remain in digital infrastructure, connectivity, skills and financing.
Another major opportunity lies closer to home. Only 8.4 percent of exports of digitally deliverable services from Latin America and the Caribbean remained within the region in 2023, substantially below intraregional levels in Europe and Asia. The finding suggests there remains considerable potential to build stronger digital trade links among neighboring economies.
Infrastructure And Financing Remain Obstacles
The report warns that realizing the sector’s potential will require more than growing demand for digital services.
Among the barriers identified are inadequate digital infrastructure and connectivity, fragmented regulatory systems, limited interoperability between payment systems, customs and trade bottlenecks, shortages of digital skills and insufficient financing for innovative businesses. Fabrizio Opertti, manager of the Productivity, Trade and Innovation Sector at the IDB, said the region has made significant progress in digitally delivered exports but retains substantial untapped potential.
The report calls on countries to expand digital infrastructure, modernize regulations, improve cross-border payments, streamline trade procedures, strengthen digital skills and export promotion, increase access to finance and improve the measurement of digital trade.
For Caribbean businesses and entrepreneurs, the findings point toward a global marketplace increasingly less constrained by geography. But capturing a larger share will depend on whether regional economies can build the infrastructure, financing systems, skills and regulatory environment needed to compete.
The report was jointly produced by the IDB, World Bank and WTO and released on September 8, 2026. Read the full Digital Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean report
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