Headwinds mounting for world economy into the final stretch of 2021

Enda Curran gives a breakdown of where the threats to a slowdown of the global economy will occur

Congestion is building from ports in Shanghai and Los Angeles to rail yards in Chicago and warehouses in the UK. Picture: Bloomberg

The global economy is entering the final quarter of 2021 with a mounting number of headwinds threatening to slow the recovery from the pandemic recession and prove policy makers’ benign views on inflation wrong.

The spreading delta variant continues to disrupt schools and workplaces; US lawmakers are wrangling over the debt ceiling and spending plans; China is suffering an energy crunch and pursuing a regulatory crackdown, while markets remain on edge as China Evergrande Group struggles to survive.