Members of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender held the first of a series of thematic discussions for 2026 on 20 February with the first meeting focusing on mainstreaming the topic of trade and gender in the work of WTO bodies in line with the group's 2025-2026 Work Plan. Members also discussed deliverables to be launched at the sideli...
At a meeting on 16 February, WTO members participating in the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative continued exploring new approaches to reforming fossil fuel subsidies and examining the effects of subsidies provided to emissions-intensive sectors. Members reaffirmed the importance of enhancing transparency through greater information and experienc...
On 10 February 2026, the Philippines notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 5 February 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of ceramic tiles.In the notification, the Philippines indicated, among other things, as follows:"4. Provide a point of contact for the investigation and identify the preferred means for corre...
WTO members have shared two new submissions on food and agriculture, aimed at finding compromise ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March.Members discussed the new submissions, one shared by Indonesia and the other by the African Group, at a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session on 30 January, alo...
WTO members on 3 February considered next steps in advancing work on WTO reform in the lead-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026. The facilitator on WTO reform, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, announced that he will launch a reform month on 5 February aimed at discussing a post-MC14 ...
The WTO Fish Fund opened its second Call for Proposals on 2 February, inviting developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO members that have ratified the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to apply for project grants aimed at supporting their implementation of the Agreement.Eligible WTO members can submit proposals by 24 April via the application portal...
WTO members took part in an interactive session of the Committee on Trade and Environment on 29 January to continue discussing how best to facilitate trade while navigating diverse carbon emissions measurement methodologies. Building on the fruitful discussions held in October and December on the importance of strengthening transparency in this area, membe...
At a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 27 January, WTO members considered a request from China for the establishment of a dispute panel to review certain Indian measures in the automotive and renewable energy sectors, which include incentives for the production of advanced chemistry cell batteries, automobile and auto components, and electric...
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed constructive engagement on trade during her participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland from 19 to 23 January. In her public engagements and her meetings with leaders, high-level officials and business executives, DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted opportunities for trade ...
A major update of the Harmonized System (HS) for the customs classification of traded goods published on 21 January sets out new HS tariff headings for human vaccines and other essential health goods. These changes, carried out by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in close cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO, aim to strength...
