Global trade may plummet between 13% to 32%, WTO sees 'ugly' numbers

'These numbers are ugly - there is no getting around that,' World Trade Organisation Director-General Roberto Azevedo said

The World Trade Organization (WTO) fears goods trade would do worse than in the global financial crisis a decade ago before rebounding in 2021--if countries worked together to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The WTO said global trade would fall this year by between 13% and 32%, giving a wide range because so much about the economic impact of the health crisis was uncertain.

"These numbers are ugly - there is no getting around that," WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said in a statement