GENEVA, March 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Middle East war could weigh heavily on already slowing global trade, the WTO warned Thursday, with merchandise trade volume potentially growing just 1.4 percent this year, compared to 4.6 percent in 2025. Since the start of the war, WTO economists have been working to revise their annual forecasts. In the first scenario, global merchandise trade volumes are projected to grow by 2.6 percent in 2027. WTO economists noted that there was also a possibility that merchandise trade growth could be stronger than expected if the war in the Middle East is short-lived and if AI-related trade remains strong. In that case, merchandise trade growth could reach 2.4 percent this year and 2.7 percent in 2027, the report said.
