Urgent: World merchandise trade expected to decline by 0.2 pct in 2025: WTO

GENEVA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The volume of global merchandise trade is expected to decline by 0.2 percent in 2025 under current tariff conditions, nearly 3 percentage points lower than the previous forecast based on a "low tariff" scenario, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in the latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report released on Wednesday.

The WTO further warned of severe downside risks posed by the reinstatement of the U.S. "reciprocal tariffs" and spillover of trade policy uncertainty, which could lead to an even sharper decline of 1.5 percent in global goods trade in 2025. ■