ZURICH, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Companies found it harder to do business in 2025 due to a deterioration in global cooperation on issues including trade, climate, technology and security, a survey published by the World Economic Forum showed on Thursday.
Released ahead of the WEF’s next annual gathering in Davos later this month, the online poll of 799 executives in 81 economies using a McKinsey global survey panel showed 43% found doing business got more difficult compared to 2024.
Only 7% were of the opposite view, with the remainder saying things had stayed the same or offering no opinion.
Nearly four in ten executives indicated growing barriers to trade, talent and cross-border capital flows had made it harder to do business, with only 10% of the opposite point of view.
“Undeniably, a series of U.S. tariff announcements in 2025 raised questions about the future of trade,” said the WEF in…
