US-China tariff war to slow down global trade growth in Q3 of CY18: WTO

Trade growth in agricultural raw materials and electrical components are also expected to be lower than the medium term trend

A sudden dip in export orders globally, brought about by an escalating trade war between the two largest economies - the US and China, has led to the World Trade Organization (WTO) dimming its prospects for trade growth in the third quarter of 2018 calendar year.

The Geneva-based body brings out its quarterly forecast of global trade growth through the World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI) index which on Thursday showed a sudden slowdown in global export orders, stemming from slow growth in crucial sectors.

“The moderation in the overall WTOI index was driven by export orders (97.2), which have declined