ICC says there’ll be no winners from trade war

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has said there will be no winners from a trade war but open markets are - and remain - the key driver of economic growth, prosperity and job creation across the world, reports UNB.

In view of growing global trade tensions - following the US administration's announ-cement of plans to impose new duties on imports of steel and aluminium, the ICC made the observation in a statement on Thursday.

"Families struggling to make ends meet will be hardest hit by any new tariffs which will inevitably push up prices at the till and restrict consumer choice," said the ICC.

In a globalised world, it said, trade is not a zero-sum game - and policy decisions must reflect this reality.

"We encourage the US administration and its trading partners to seek alternative means to address the longstanding issue of excess capacity in the steel and aluminium markets," the statement reads.

Recent years have seen a notable decline in trade distorting measures in these sectors and further progress can only be made through enhanced multilateral dialogue.

"Rising trade tensions must not become an excuse for recklessness, " the statement added.