Global use of trade restrictions slows, WTO says

GENEVA (Reuters) - New barriers to trade are being raised at the slowest rate since the global financial crisis and are being outnumbered by steps taken to increase trade, the World Trade Organization said on Monday in a monitoring report covering October 2016 to May 2017.

"The report shows an encouraging decrease in the rate of new trade-restrictive measures put in place — hitting the lowest monthly average since the financial crisis," WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said in a statement.