Trade and Investment: 2026 National Capability Ratings
Figure 1. Top 25 Nations: Trade and Investment Capability Frontier
| Trade & Investment | Hard Capability | Soft Capability | Econ Capability | Frontiers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Nation | CT | SI | NS | HC | II | GI | FS | PI | TI | T1 | T2 | T3 |
| T1 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | T7 | T3 | T5 | T1 | T2 | T1 | T3 | T2 | T1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| T1 | 🇮🇱 Israel | T2 | T2 | T1 | T1 | T2 | T1 | T3 | T1 | T1 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| T1 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | T4 | T1 | T4 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | 7 | - | - |
| T1 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | T2 | T1 | T3 | T2 | T1 | T2 | T2 | T1 | T1 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| T1 | 🇺🇸 United States | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T3 | T1 | T1 | T1 | 8 | - | 1 |
| T2 | 🇨🇳 China | T2 | T1 | T2 | T3 | T2 | T4 | T3 | T2 | T2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| T2 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | T5 | T2 | T5 | T2 | T1 | T1 | T2 | T2 | T2 | 2 | 5 | - |
| T2 | 🇯🇵 Japan | T3 | T1 | T3 | T4 | T1 | T3 | T2 | T2 | T2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| T2 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | T2 | T1 | T4 | T3 | T1 | T2 | T2 | T2 | T2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| T2 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | T2 | T1 | T4 | T2 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T1 | T2 | 5 | 3 | - |
| T2 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | T6 | T4 | T5 | T5 | T3 | T4 | T4 | T2 | T2 | - | 2 | 1 |
| T2 | 🇦🇪 UAE | T5 | T1 | T4 | T4 | T1 | T2 | T2 | T2 | T2 | 2 | 4 | - |
| T3 | 🇫🇮 Finland | T4 | T1 | T5 | T2 | T1 | T1 | T3 | T2 | T3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| T3 | 🇫🇷 France | T3 | T2 | T2 | T4 | T2 | T5 | T1 | T3 | T3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| T3 | 🇩🇪 Germany | T2 | T2 | T4 | T4 | T1 | T4 | T1 | T3 | T3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| T3 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | T5 | T3 | T8 | T5 | T2 | T4 | T4 | T3 | T3 | - | 1 | 3 |
| T3 | 🇳🇴 Norway | T4 | T1 | T4 | T3 | T1 | T1 | T2 | T3 | T3 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| T4 | 🇦🇺 Australia | T5 | T3 | T4 | T4 | T2 | T3 | T3 | T4 | T4 | - | 1 | 3 |
| T4 | 🇨🇦 Canada | T5 | T3 | T5 | T4 | T3 | T3 | T3 | T3 | T4 | - | - | 5 |
| T4 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | T5 | T3 | T5 | T5 | T4 | T5 | T4 | T3 | T4 | - | - | 2 |
| T4 | 🇦🇹 Austria | T5 | T3 | T6 | T3 | T3 | T4 | T4 | T4 | T4 | - | - | 3 |
| T4 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | T4 | T3 | T3 | T4 | T2 | T4 | T1 | T4 | T4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Figure 2. Trade and Investment Capabilities by Capability Group
| Capability | Top 5 | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Trade and Services | ||
| Cross-border data flows | 🇪🇪 🇸🇬 🇸🇪 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 | International data transfer infrastructure and regulation |
| E-commerce and digital platforms | 🇸🇪 🇸🇬 🇨🇳 🇪🇪 🇺🇸 | Online marketplace development and digital commerce |
| Services trade and intangibles | 🇺🇸 🇸🇬 🇸🇪 🇪🇪 🇨🇠| Cross-border services and intellectual property trade |
| Export Competitiveness | ||
| Cost and price competitiveness | 🇺🇸 🇰🇷 🇸🇬 🇸🇪 🇸🇧 | Export pricing advantages and production efficiency |
| Market diversification | 🇸🇬 🇳🇱 🇸🇪 🇺🇸 🇩🇰 | Geographic spread of export destinations |
| Scale and market share | 🇨🇳 🇺🇸 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇳🇱 | Volume of exports and global market position |
| Export Sophistication | ||
| High-tech export share | 🇺🇸 🇹🇼 🇮🇱 🇰🇷 🇸🇪 | Advanced technology products in export basket |
| Knowledge-intensive exports | 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇸🇬 🇸🇪 🇨🇠| Research-based and IP-intensive goods and services |
| Upgrading of export basket | 🇨🇠🇮🇱 🇸🇬 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 | Shift towards higher value-added products |
| Foreign Direct and Domestic Investment | ||
| Domestic capital formation | 🇸🇬 🇦🇪 🇩🇰 🇰🇷 🇸🇪 | Investment in productive capacity and infrastructure |
| FDI inflows and outflows | 🇺🇸 🇸🇬 🇨🇠🇳🇱 🇸🇪 | Foreign direct investment volumes and stocks |
| Investment climate and incentives | 🇸🇬 🇪🇪 🇮🇱 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 | Regulatory environment and investment promotion |
| Global Value Chains | ||
| Global value chain position | 🇸🇧 🇹🇼 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇸🇬 | Position in international production networks |
| Integration with regional hubs | 🇸🇬 🇳🇱 🇨🇳 🇦🇪 🇰🇷 | Connectivity to major regional production centres |
| Participation in global production networks | 🇸🇬 🇹🇼 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇰🇷 | Involvement in cross-border manufacturing chains |
| Trade Dependency and Leverage | ||
| Export concentration risks | 🇸🇬 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 🇨🇠🇳🇱 | Diversification of export products and partners |
| Import dependency in strategic sectors | 🇺🇸 🇸🇪 🇸🇬 🇮🇱 🇩🇰 | Reliance on foreign sources for critical inputs |
| Trade leverage and strategic influence | 🇺🇸 🇨🇱 🇨🇳 🇸🇬 🇮🇱 | Economic power derived from trade relationships |
| Trade Infrastructure | ||
| Logistics and customs efficiency | 🇸🇬 🇳🇱 🇦🇪 🇪🇪 🇰🇷 | Speed and reliability of customs clearance processes |
| Ports and shipping capacity | 🇸🇬 🇨🇳 🇳🇱 🇦🇪 🇰🇷 | Maritime infrastructure and cargo handling capability |
| Transport connectivity networks | 🇸🇬 🇰🇷 🇨🇳 🇯🇵 🇳🇱 | Multimodal transport links and logistics networks |
| Trade Policy and Institutions | ||
| Tariff and non-tariff regimes | 🇸🇬 🇨🇠🇺🇸 🇦🇪 🇰🇷 | Trade barriers and market access restrictions |
| Trade agreements and memberships | 🇸🇬 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 🇺🇸 🇦🇺 | Participation in bilateral and multilateral trade pacts |
| Trade institutional quality and enforcement | 🇸🇬 🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇪🇪 | Effectiveness of trade governance and dispute resolution |
