Global trade in goods is expected to grow by 2.6% this year after it shrank by 1.2% in 2023, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in its latest forecast published on Wednesday. In the report, the Geneva-based organization painted a more pessimistic picture than it had in October, when it forecast growth of 0.8% for 2023 and 3.3% for 2024. WTO chief economist Ralph Ossa said the decline in trade volume was largely due to Europe, which is lagging behind most other regions. Last year, European exports shrank by 2.6%, while imports fell by 4.7%. This year, the WTO expects exports to grow by 1.7…