The WTO’s latest World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI), released on 12 February, suggests that the trade recovery of 2017 should continue, with solid trade volume growth in the first quarter of 2018. The WTOI’s current value of 102.3 is little changed from the 102.2 recorded last November, indicating steady merchandise trade volume growth. Strong results for air freight, container shipping and export orders in particular suggest that, while the trade recovery may moderate in due course, it will likely continue in the coming months and remain above trend.
This has been excerpted from a 12 February 2018 news item by the World Trade Organization.