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
Arsenal's time might be this season: Michael Owen
The former England and Liverpool player on how the game has changed, Premier League predictions, and the Ballon d'Or
5 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
UPI AutoPay’s endless woes forcing an industry rethink
55-90% of automated payments on UPI AutoPay didn’t go through in Aug, NPCI data shows
2 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Prosus buys 10% stake in Ixigo parent for ₹1,295 cr
Travel tech platform Ixigo has sold a 10% stake in the company to Dutch investor Prosus for ₹1,295 crore, which it plans to use primarily for investing in artificial intelligence, expanding its hotel business, and acquisitions.
1 min
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Norms for hazardous chemicals tightened
The government has overhauled more than four-decade-old safety codes that govern the production, handling, and storage of hazardous chemicals, as it seeks to bolster industrial safety and prevent chemical-related mishaps in India.
1 min
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Silver to stay hot as supply thins amid buyer frenzy
Demand for silver has soared on the back of rising industrial use and investor frenzy, but supply remains constrained.
1 min
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
CaratLane is reshaping the jewellery world
CaratLane has become a household name in fine jewellery. Its recently launched CaratLane Gulnaara, a 73-faceted solitaire crafted for exceptional brilliance is a cut above the rest.
2 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Investors aren't too excited about TCS's biggest bet
“We are on a journey to become the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI)-led technology services company,” said Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd’s chief executive K. Krithivasan in prepared remarks on Thursday after announcing it will spend over $6 billion in about six years to set up data centres.
2 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Science at the political table
'The Man who Fed India' is a diligent record of India's most impactful agriculture scientist, M.S. Swaminathan
5 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Inside Mumbai's first crying club
The club seeks to create a safe space where adults can experience the catharsis of weeping with company
4 mins
October 11, 2025
Mint Kolkata
Silver to stay hot as supply thins amid buying frenzy
New mines can’t help, either, Exploring and developing new mines typically takes several years.
1 mins
October 11, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size