FRANKFURT - Euro zone economic growth could fall much more from the impact of US trade tariffs than initially estimated by the European Central Bank and the turmoil could also drag inflation down in the near term, four sources told Reuters.

That might leave the bloc's economy stagnating and dash hopes for a recovery that had been growing until recently on the back of large-scale public investment plans.

The ECB last month predicted that a trade war would take 0.5 percentage points off the euro zone's economic growth in the first year and would briefly send prices up by a similar magnitude if the European Union retaliated.

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But the actual tariffs unveiled by President Donald Trump are far more detrimental than models estimated and ECB staff have been asked to come up with fresh numbers to be discussed by policymakers at their April 17 meeting, the sources, all with direct knowledge of the situation, said.

Informal conversations among policymakers may start as soon as this week when they meet in Warsaw on the sidelines of the Eurogroup meeting, the sources, all with direct knowledge of the discussion, added.

All agreed that the 0.5 percentage points estimate is too low now and one of them said the impact could be in excess of 1 percentage points - also due to the increase in uncertainty and the hit to confidence. This would essentially wipe out all economic growth since the bloc is only seen expanding by about 1 percent this year.

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An ECB spokesperson declined to comment.

Such sluggish economic activity may push inflation down rather than up, the sources said. But some argued that greater fragmentation in global trade may result in structurally higher inflation further out.

Energy prices are down, the euro is firming and corporate bond yields are up, all contributing to a slowdown in inflation. In addition, international markets, including supposedly safe corners such as US treasuries, are in tumult.

These factors will add to the case for another interest rate cut next week, some of the sources said. This move is already fully priced in by money markets.

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A long list of influential policymakers have already backed a rate cut in public commentary and only one, Austria's Robert Holzmann, spoke against a move, which would be the ECB's seventh in the past year.

All the sources added that the market turmoil is not impairing the transmission of monetary policy so there was no discussion about any measure to improve liquidity or the flow of credit.

They also said there was no discussion about reopening the debate on the ECB’s bond purchases either. The bank is now allowing bonds bought during previous stimulus to expire, shrinking its balance sheet gradually and withdrawing liquidity from the financial system.

The sources said this policy remained appropriate and would continue.