War in the Middle East strains world economyUNCERTAINTY: Many economists say the war’s overall impact on global GDP is likely to be modest, but that calculation would shift the longer the conflict drags onBloombergThe economic fallout from the war in the Middle East is spreading outside the region. “The world economy has been remarkably resilient, shock after shock,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday in Bangkok. “Every shock that comes on top of the previous one, the world faces it in a more difficult position,” Georgieva said. Global shipping giants MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and several others have suspended bookings for routes linking Asia to the Middle East, and services connecting that region with Europe.

Source: Taipei Times March 08, 2026 16:07 UTC