GENEVA (Reuters) -The volume of world merchandise trade grew more than forecast in the first quarter of 2025 from the previous three months, but growth is expected to slow, a new World Trade Organization report said on Tuesday.
The volume of world merchandise trade rose by 3.6% in the first quarter of 2025 from the previous quarter and 5.3% year-on-year, due to a surge of imports in North America ahead of expected higher tariffs in the United States, the WTO report showed.
“Merchandise trade volume growth in the first quarter was stronger than the WTO’s most recent forecast, but WTO economists expect the pace of expansion to slow later in the year as fully stocked inventories and higher tariffs weigh on import demand,” the report said.
(Reporting by Olivia Le PoidevinEditing by Madeline Chambers)
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