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 ...
On 29 June, the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and partner organizations announced the 2026 Small Business Champions. During meetings on 29 and 30 June, the Group held a thematic discussion on empowering small businesses to trade through artificial intelligence (AI) and continued a regular spotlight of small bus...
At a heads of delegation meeting on 26 June, the General Council Chair Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand outlined the next steps for moving to the substantive phase of WTO reform, including indicative checkpoints to monitor progress. Reporting on her consultations with members, the Chair noted that many members underlined the urgency and importance of ...
At the Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting on 10-11 June 2026, WTO members continued discussions on a total of 25 proposals submitted under the second review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Members also agreed to hold a dedicated session on trade facilitation issues for small economies and discussed transit issues facing landlocked developin...
At an event in London on 10 June, Deputy Director-General DJ Nordquist emphasized that the WTO continues to provide the foundation for the large majority of global trade, even as the trading system adapts to new technologies, shifting supply chains and geopolitical uncertainty. She also stressed the importance of advancing WTO reform while preserving the p...
The Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology met on 28 May to discuss how to continue advancing work on increasing flows of technology to developing economies following the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé in March. The newly elected Chair, Ambassador Sumathi Balakrishnan of Malaysia, told the Working Group that she will wo...
