New Delhi, April 16 -- Global merchandise trade is headed for a decline in 2025, the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump's renewed tariff push casts a shadow over the fragile recovery in cross-border commerce.

The WTO now expects global goods trade to shrink by 0.2% in calendar year 2025-nearly three percentage points below its earlier baseline forecast. If trade tensions escalate, the contraction could deepen to 1.5%. The revised outlook marks a sharp reversal from the WTO's previous projections, which anticipated steady growth in line with global economic expansion.

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