Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
Global goods trade could shrink by up to 1.5%: WTO
Mint Kolkata
|April 17, 2025
Alongside, Unctad said the global economic growth is expected to slow to 2.3% in 2025
Global merchandise trade is set to shrink by 0.2% in calendar year 2025, the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned on Wednesday, nearly three percentage points below its earlier forecast.
If trade tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump's renewed tariff push escalate, the contraction could deepen to 1.5%.
The revised outlook marks a sharp reversal from the WTO's previous projections, made in October 2024, which anticipated steady growth in line with global economic expansion.
These estimates do not yet account for potential spillovers into services trade.
On 2 April, Trump announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on countries that impose higher duties on American goods.
Central to his 2024 election campaign, the policy reignited fears of a global trade war and new disruptions to supply chains.
The WTO warned on Wednesday that if sustained, such reciprocal measures could trigger serious downside risks, particularly for export-dependent and least-developed countries.
This story is from the April 17, 2025 edition of Mint Kolkata.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Mint Kolkata
Mint Kolkata
How EVs came to dominate 3-W market
Of the 1.1 million three-wheelers sold in India this calender year (as of 24 November), more than 687,000, or about 60%, were electric vehicles (EVs), compared with a measly 4.1% for cars and 6.2% for two-wheelers, government data showed.
2 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
1st privately built PSLV near lift-off
India's first privately built polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) is expected to have its maiden commercial flight before the end of the financial year, marking a giant leap in the country’s ambition to foster a private space economy.
1 min
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Fed chair Powell's allies provide opening for December rate cut
A divided committee, missing data and a whiff of stagflation leave Powell with hard choices
4 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
THE REAL TAX MATH AND LEGAL PITFALLS OF CHOOSING TO WORK AS A CONSULTANT
Many employees believe they will be financially better off working as consultants than staying on payroll, due to perceived tax savings. But how accurate is this belief, and what risks arise if an employee is reclassified as a consultant?
3 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Tata Motors PV brings back Sierra to rival Creta, Vitara
Firm revives the iconic model after 22 years to push into the crowded mid-size SUV market
2 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Sovereign Al takes off as countries try to avoid overdependence on superpowers
As China and the U.S. race to dominate artificial intelligence, countries are increasingly wary of becoming overly dependent on the superpowers for a technology that could profoundly affect their economic competitiveness and national security.
1 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
TechM lags peers but sticks to its turnaround timeline
Co. expects revenue growth to rise as macroeconomic conditions improve by March 2027
3 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Wipro to enter pet foods with ‘HappyFur’
Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, the consumer venture of Wipro Enterprises, is set to enter India’s fast-growing pet food market with a new brand, ‘HappyFur’, said three people aware of the plan.
2 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
PPFAS’s new fund to run like an index fund, with an edge
Fund will use futures market discounts, merger opportunities and index-rebalancing tactics
3 mins
November 26, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Al nostalgia has a new generation loving the 1980s
The baffling popularity of Al-generated 80's videos and other news this week
1 min
November 26, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size