WTO Lowers Trade Growth Estimate for 2013 and 2014

The World Trade Organization announced Sept. 19 that its economists are now forecasting global trade growth of 2.5% in 2013, down from the 3.3% they projected in April, and 4.5% in 2014, down from 5.0%. Both would still be better than 2012, which saw trade growth fall to 2.0% from 5.2% in 2011. According to the WTO, the revised figures reflect that import demand in developing economies is reviving at a slower rate than expected. On the other hand, data from Europe, the U.S., Japan and China suggest that the economic slowdown has bottomed out and that a tentative recovery is underway…

The WTO anticipates that in 2014 developed economy exports will climb 2.8% and imports will grow 3.2%. For developing countries, exports are projected to rise by 6.3% and imports should expand by 6.2%...

This article has been excerpted from today’s article by Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, and is available in its entirety at:
http://www.strtrade.com/news-publications-WTO-trade-growth-092013.html