Trade growth in the second quarter is likely to continue – but at a slower pace, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
This after the WTO’s latest World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI) dropped to 101.8, below the 102.3 recorded in the first quarter.
“The recent dip in the WTOI reflects declines in component indices for export orders in particular but also for airfreight, which may be linked to rising economic uncertainty due to increased trade tensions,” said a WTO spokesperson.
The WTOI highlighted that container port throughput remained above trend, but showed signs of plateauing, while automobile sales and agricultural raw materials were currently weighing down the index. In contrast to this, the index for the electronic components trade has climbed above trend.
