Dhaka, April 26 -- The world Trade Organisation (WTO) in its report titled "Global Trade Outlook and Statistics--April 2025" published on April 16, warned that the outlook for trade had "deteriorated sharply" because of the US tariff hikes and the "trade policy uncertainty" they have caused. Based on the tariffs currently in place, and including a 90-day pause of "reciprocal tariffs", the volume of world merchandise trade is expected to decline by 0.2 per cent in 2025 compared to an increase of 2.9 per cent in 2024. This estimated figure for 2025 is nearly three percentage points lower than what would have been expected under a "low tariff" baseline scenario,

This decline in merchandise trade is premised on the tariff situation as of Apr...