The World Trade Organisation (WTO) warned on Thursday that growth in the volume of world trade was likely to remain sluggish in 2016 at 2.8%, unchanged from levels recorded in 2015, which was the fourth consecutive year where growth in world merchandise trade remained below 3%. WTO economists expected global trade growth to rise to 3.6% in 2017, well below the yearly average of 5% since 1990. In addition, risks to the forecast “tilted to the downside, including further slowing in emerging economies and financial volatility”.
