An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2025 shows a freight train running on a bridge over the Yangtze River along the Longchang-Luxian-Xuyong railway in Luzhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The Longchang-Luxian-Xuyong railway began operation on Thursday as part of China's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor rail service, which is a crucial logistics link between China's western inland regions and global markets. (Photo by Liao Shengchun/Xinhua)

Looking ahead, de la Mora said global economic growth is expected to slow further. And China, as the world's largest exporter and a major importer, is deeply integrated into global supply and value chains.

GENEVA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- As lingering uncertainty and rising protectionism continue to weigh on the global economy, China remains a key engine of global trade and economic growth, a senior United Nations trade official has said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), warned that shifts in U.S. tariff policy since the beginning of this year have generated significant uncertainty for international trade and investment.

According to de la Mora, the United States has raised average tariff levels from 2.6 percent at the start of this year to 17.9 percent currently.

"That kind of uncertainty normally has an impact on investors, on trade partners, and also on the way in which supply chains are working," she said, adding that such disruptions not only affect U.S. imports and global trade but also weaken trade's contribution to overall economic growth.

Looking ahead, de la Mora said global economic growth is expected to slow further. "Moving towards 2026, we are expecting to see a slowdown in the rate of growth of the global economy," she said, noting that the trend has already been evident throughout 2025.

This photo shows a view of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue of the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 10, 2025. The 8th CIIE concluded here on Monday. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

According to UNCTAD's Trade and Development Report 2025, global economic growth is projected to decelerate from 2.9 percent in 2024 to 2.6 percent in 2025 and remain subdued at around 2.6 percent in 2026, well below the pre-pandemic trend of about 3 percent.

De la Mora predicted that the main drivers of trade growth in 2026 will increasingly come from the Global South. Trade among developing economies, known as South-South trade, now accounts for more than 40 percent of global trade, she noted.

She also highlighted China's zero-tariff policy for African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, describing it as part of important efforts to ensure that trade continues to serve as an engine of growth.

As the world's largest exporter and a major importer, China is deeply integrated into global supply and value chains, she said.

This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024, shows a container ship named "WAN HAI 357" berthing at the Dalian port in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The container ship arrived at the Dalian port on Tuesday, marking the launch of a regular container ship route linking the port and the west coast of South America. (Liaoning Port Group/Handout via Xinhua)

"In that sense, China is one of the key engines of growth for trade and, therefore, for the global economy," de la Mora said.

Looking into 2026, de la Mora cautioned that uncertainty in international trade is likely to persist, as multilateral trade rules are increasingly challenged by major actors prioritizing national or domestic concerns.

She stressed the importance of maintaining and reforming the multilateral trading system. "Being able to solve global problems at the multilateral level is really the best alternative for everyone, big and small," she said.

De la Mora added that she believes China will continue to be a strong advocate of multilateral trade rules and play a role in helping developing countries integrate more effectively into the global trading system.

Visitors communicate with an exhibitor (R) at the ninth China-South Africa Trade Fair in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 23, 2025. The two events opened here on Tuesday, drawing thousands of participants seeking to deepen trade and investment ties. (Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/Xinhua)■