WTO chief urges states to stop first dominoes of trade war

Roberto Azevedo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Trade Organization told member states on Monday they must prevent "the fall of the first dominoes" in a trade war and warned of a real risk of triggering an escalation of global trade barriers and a deep recession.

World trade policy is in turmoil because of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement last week that he planned to put controversial tariffs on steel and aluminium, prompting threats of tit-for-tat actions and concerns for the trade system itself.