Sweeping tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump and countermeasures could have a "catastrophic" impact on developing countries, hitting even harder than foreign aid cuts, the director of the United Nation's trade agency said on Friday.
Global trade could shrink by 3-7% and global gross domestic product by 0.7%, with developing countries the worst affected, the International Trade Centre said.
"It is huge," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told Reuters. "If this escalation between China and the U.S. continues it will result in an 80% reduction in trade between the countries, and the ripple effect of that across the board can be catastrophic."
Global markets continued to face turmoil on Friday, after Trump announced a 90-day tariff pause on dozens of countries, while ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them effectively to 145% when levies imposed earlier this year are taken into account.
China has been raising its tariffs on the U.S. with each Trump increase, raising fears that Beijing may jack up tariffs above the current 84%.
"Tariffs could have a much more harmful impact than the removal of foreign aid," Coke-Hamilton said, warning that developing economies risk sliding back on the economic gains they made in recent years.
The International Trade Centre's projections are based on data it gathered that do not reflect the 90-day pause or levy hike on China to 125% and its subsequent 84% hike on U.S. goods.
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Many developing countries continue to face chronic energy shortages. Frequent power cuts disrupt industries, limit access to healthcare and education, and slow economic progress.
A series of events within the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) under the theme “Driving Progress Through Partnerships” has been launched today in Turkmenistan's national resort.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
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South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
Five people have died after a mine shaft collapsed during an illegal mining operation in southwestern China, state media reported on Sunday (31 May), just days after the country's deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade claimed at least 82 lives.
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