Coronavirus outbreak may dampen trade prospects further: WTO

New Delhi: Growth in world merchandise trade is expected to remain weak in early 2020 and coronavirus outbreak may dampen trade prospects further, according to the WTO.

“World merchandise trade growth is likely to remain weak in early 2020,” according to the WTO Goods Trade Barometer released on Monday.

This does not augur well for India’s exports, which have recorded negative growth from August till January.

“It does not account for recent developments such as the outbreak of COVID-19, the new coronavirus disease, which may dampen trade prospects further,” it said.

WTO (World Trade Organisation) trade statistics showed that the volume of global merchandise trade was down 0.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2019 as compared to the previous year.