Trade flows hit by new restrictions implemented by WTO members continued at a historically high level between mid-October 2018 and mid-May 2019, according to the Director-General’s latest mid-year report on trade-related developments presented to members on 22 July. The report, which was reviewed at a meeting of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body, notes that the trade coverage of import-restrictive measures implemented during the review period is estimated at USD 339.5 billion, the second-highest figure on record after the USD 588.3 billion reported in the previous period. Together, these two periods represent a dramatic spike in the trade coverage of import-restrictive measures.
