IMF: Surging trade uncertainties about 10 times previous peaks

HONG KONG: Concerns about global trade have reached nearly 10 times the peaks seen in previous decades and could shave about 0.75 percentage point off world economic growth this year, according to data compiled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Americas and Asia Pacific are most affected by concerns about the US-China trade war, while Africa is least affected, the IMF said on Monday in a new index aimed at quantifying trade uncertainty.