Global trade slowed in the Q4, WTO says; auto tariffs and Brexit are 2019 risks

• World trade shrank by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2018 and is likely to grow by 2.6% this year, below a previous forecast of 3.7%, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said.
• The WTO further highlighted that trade had been weighed down by new tariffs and retaliatory measures, weaker economic growth, volatility in financial markets and tighter monetary conditions in developed countries.
• WTO forecasted in September that 2018 growth would be 3.9%, down from 4.6% in 2017.

 (Source: Reuters)