The WTO will host the first World Trade and Tech Day on 14 September at its headquarters in Geneva, bringing together trade and information and communications technology (ICT) policymakers, industry leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) strategies can better support economies' efforts to maximize the gains of intern...
World merchandise trade growth exceeded expectations in the first quarter of 2026 as surging trade in electronic components related to artificial intelligence (AI) offset the negative impact of the conflict in the Middle East, which began in the final month of the quarter. Trade disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to be more fully captured in ...
Brazil has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding additional US duties on products originating in Brazil as a result of two investigations by the United States under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. Brazil said the additional duties are above the duties otherwise applicable under the US harmonized tariff schedule. The ...
Uzbekistan reaffirmed its determination to complete its WTO accession process within 2026 at a meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan on 27 and 28 July, soon after its last meeting in March. The head of Uzbekistan's delegation, Chief Negotiator Azizbek Urunov, stressed that maintaining a strong pace of engagement and addressing mem...
A new Trade Policy Activity (TPA) index by WTO and IMF economists shows a marked rise in trade policy activity during 2025-26, alongside heightened trade policy tensions among large economies, against the backdrop of an overall upward trend.The index shows that facilitating measures - those that ease trade by reducing barriers or improving customs procedur...
The most-favoured-nation (MFN) principle is one of the cornerstones of the multilateral trading system founded by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and embodied by the WTO. It is often described simply as a non-discrimination rule, requiring that any tariff granted to one trading partner be extended to all WTO members. But its economic sign...
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on WTO members to make simultaneous progress on reforming the organization as well as on outstanding negotiating topics, urging delegations to "collectively advance the two sides of the same coin". She made her remarks at a 14-15 July General Council meeting where she reviewed work undertaken since the ...
On 14 July 2026, South Africa notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 10 July 2026 of a safeguard investigation on certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).In the notification South Africa indicated, among other things, as follows:"Interested parties must ...
At its meeting on 7-10 July, the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee tackled a broad agenda, including standards for critical and emerging technologies, climate-resilient buildings and lithium-ion batteries. The Committee also adopted improvements to transparency procedures and related digital tools and reviewed 70 specific trade concerns raised by...
The Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 7 as part of the high-level coordination group established in April to maximize their institutions' response to the energy, trade, and economic impact of the war in the Middle East. Following the ...
