World Bank president says protectionism could rise

More governments could seek to limit trade in the months ahead if the global economic recession continues, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Monday.

Zoellick said import taxes and other barriers have become more frequent in response to the downturn, reducing trade volumes that have slumped in response to weak demand.

"These trends could easily spin out of control in coming months as unemployment rises and one country feels compelled to respond tit for tat to the policies of another," he told an aid for trade meeting in Geneva.