Just a Growth Wobble or the Beginning of the End?

Just a Growth Wobble or the Beginning of the End?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) talk about an EU flag at the start of talks at the latter's official residence in Tokyo on March 9, 2015. Kimimasa Mayama/AFP/Getty Images
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FRANKFURT—Two of the world’s biggest economies probably shrank last quarter, further proof that global growth is now past its peak and the risk of a downturn is rising.

Germany and Japan are both expected to report negative growth figures in the coming days and even if a slew of one-off events are factored out, the underlying trend is weak and the outlook is fraught with risk, not least from a global trade war.