WTO: Vaccination lag poses threat to rebounding global trade

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — World trade will pick up this year but has a long way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels. That is the word Wednesday from the World Trade Organization. The WTO is raising its estimate for the rebound in global trade in goods but warning that the COVID-19 pandemic still poses the greatest threat to a recovery that is being hampered by lagging vaccinations and regional disparities. The WTO forecasts that trade in goods will rise by 8.0%. Trade bounced back faster than expected in the second half of 2020, helping the outlook. The organization’s director-general called Wednesday for open markets and “a rapid, global and equitable vaccine rollout.”