World Trade Showed 2.5% Upturn in June

World trade rose 2.5% in June from May, suggesting that global trade sluggishness could be bottoming out, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The increase was the biggest monthly increase since July 2008, the paper reported, citing a report by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

Despite the reported upturn, many forecasts show global trade declining this year, some by as much as 10%, the Journal said.

Container port and ocean shipping company officials, including at the U.S. Port of Long Beach, Calif., have reported continued trade sluggishness, but some economists said the report could offer a sign that the worst of the trade slowdown is over, the Journal said.