Mubasher: Global trade activity slumped in April, as the row between the US and China, the world’s two biggest economies, showed little signs of an end, according to the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB).

World’s goods trade dropped by 0.7%, compared with a 0.8% gain in the prior month, figures from the Hague-based CPB showed.

On an annualised basis, global trade posted a slight growth of 0.1% during the reported month.

This arrived along with separate CPB data indicating a downturn in industrial output across the world’s economies in April

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Japan this weekend, amidst expectations of a resumption to the stalled bilateral trade talks.

Trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing collapsed last May after President Trump accused China of “reneging” on commitments under a tentative deal.

Washington later on raised tariffs in place on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%, to which Beijing retaliated with hikes on $60 billion worth in US products.