Free, open trade crucial for growth (4)

(ANSA) - Washington, April 20 - Preserving free and open trade is crucial to global growth, European Central Bank Presient Mario Draghi told the 37th Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) on Friday.
    The ECB chief said the eurozone has enjoyed "robust" growth which has spurred "significant improvements" in the labour market and the unemployment rate has dropped to a post-2008 low.
    He said the positive moment would continue.
    The condition of the eurozone banking system has continued to improve, Draghi told the IMFC. But despite the "positive developments some structural challenges continue to weigh on the prospects of profitability of the banks", he said. Draghi said non-performing loans (NPLs) "remain elevated in some countries".
    A wide range of monetary stimulus is still necessary to sustain inflation, Draghi said. He said the bond-acquisition programme known as quantitative easing (QE) would go on at the current rate of 30 billion euros until the end of September 2018, and beyond if necessary. In any case it will continue until the ECB sees a sustained adjustment of inflation in line with its objectives, Draghi added.