WTO Cuts Its 2026 World Trade Growth Forecast to 1.9%
The World Trade Organization has cut its 2026 global merchandise trade growth forecast to 1.9 per cent, against 4.6 per cent actual growth in 2025, citing tariff actions, Middle East tensions and elevated shipping costs. European consumer ecommerce is on a different trajectory.
Mid-June EP Vote Is the Last Step Before EU-US Tariff Relief
Council and Parliament struck a provisional EU-US trade agreement on May 20, 2026, but the final EP plenary vote in Strasbourg mid-June is not guaranteed to pass. A failed vote reactivates the July 4 US deadline and restarts tariff escalation risk for brands with goods flowing across the Atlantic. US brands with EU-local stock are largely insulated from that exposure, as consumer orders ship domestically from within the EU.