WTO Warns of Major Consequences from Middle East Conflict

World Trade Organization (WTO) President Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed hope for a swift end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, warning that it could have a "really significant" impact on already weak global trade flows if it expands throughout the region. She added, during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Morocco, that violence in the Middle East could exacerbate factors that are stifling trade growth, including rising interest rates, the troubled Chinese real estate market, and the Russian war in Ukraine.