Artificial intelligence (AI), the environment, and issues facing developing economies were among the topics discussed by Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the latest cohort of WTO Young Trade L...

Hundreds of participants gathered at the WTO for World Trade & Tech Day on 14 September, a sign of how AI is fundamentally changing the way cross-border commerce is evolving. Under the banner of AI an...

The 2026 edition of the World Trade Report - issued on 15 September - finds that a strengthened multilateral trading system could increase global GDP by roughly 3% or USD 3 trillion by 2050, while ina...

The 2026 edition of the World Trade Report - issued on 15 September - finds that a strengthened multilateral trading system could increase global GDP by roughly 3% or USD 3 trillion by 2050, while ina...

The 2026 edition of the WTO's Public Forum kicked off on 15 September in Geneva under the theme Powering the Future. Over three days, the Forum will welcome more than 4,600 participants from business,...

A new report launched by the WTO Secretariat and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) on 17 September draws on case studies to illustrate how developing economies' ...

The WTO Secretariat launched a new publication on the role of stablecoins in supporting cross-border trade on 14 September on the sidelines of the WTO's first World Trade and Tech Day. The report, pre...

Hundreds of participants gathered at the WTO for World Trade & Tech Day on 14 September, a sign of how AI is fundamentally changing the way cross-border commerce is evolving. Under the banner of AI an...

A new report by the WTO Secretariat, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank examines how digital trade is transforming the way Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) economies connec...

The WTO published today (9 September) its 2026 Annual Report, providing a comprehensive account of the organization's activities in 2025 and the early part of 2026. The Report looks back at recent key...

Global goods trade continued to strengthen in mid-2026 despite persistent geopolitical and policy-related uncertainties, according to the WTO Goods Trade Barometer released on 9 September 2026.

At a meeting on 28 August of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), WTO members adopted a panel report regarding the European Union's anti-dumping duties on imports of fatty acid from Indonesia.

This year's Public Forum, entitled Powering the Future, will feature 113 sessions - with a focus on trade in services - from 15 to 17 September. Sessions are organized by WTO member governments, busin...

Canada’s export credit agency is broadening the scope of its trade programme to support the country’s exporters hit by escalating US tariffs.

Artificial intelligence supply chains are highly concentrated among a small number of companies and countries, leaving entire regions and sectors dangerously exposed to geopolitical friction and short...

On 2 September 2026, Madagascar notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 31 August 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of hulled rice, semi-whitened or whitened rice, ...

Global trade opens opportunities for economic growth. However, moving goods across borders, between exporters and importers, involves counterparty risk such as payment and liquidity risk. Trade financ...

The deadline for online registration for this year's in-person Public Forum, which will take place on 15, 16 and 17 September, is 21 August 2026 (23.59 CET). Late and onsite registrations will not be ...

On 5 August 2026, the United Kingdom notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated, on the same day, a safeguard investigation on imports of certain polyethylene terephthalate (PET)...

On 5 August 2026, the United Kingdom notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated, on the same day, a safeguard investigation on imports of certain polyethylene terephthalate (PET)...

Lloyd's List is part of Maritime Intelligence

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 l...

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 meetin...

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 co...

At a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 24 July, members considered a request from the Russian Federation for the establishment of a dispute panel to review the European Union's Carbon Bo...

Lithuania is contributing EUR 30,000 (approximately CHF 28,000) in 2026 to finance training programmes for government officials from developing economies, including least-developed countries (LDCs). T...

On 28 July, the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by China 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 Sect...

The Eighth review of the trade policies and practices of India takes place on 21 and 23 July 2026. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of India.

In my previous two posts on the value of the WTO, I argued that when governments set trade policies independently, they focus on domestic effects but often overlook the costs imposed on trading par...

On 17 July 2026, the United States notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 13 July 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of lamb meat.

WTO members reached consensus on 16 July on a slate of names of the chairpersons for 13 subsidiary bodies that report to the Council for Trade in Goods.

WTO members shared their views on the state of agricultural negotiations and discussed how best to move talks forward on 9 July at the WTO Committee on Agriculture in Special Session in Geneva. It was...

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 ...

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...

Part II: Why MFN matters

If your organisation supports SMEs navigating increasingly complex global supply chains, this is your chance to build new capability, gain internationally recognised certification, and connect with regional and Australian leaders.

At a meeting on 6 July, the Co-Coordinators of the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement - Ambassador Marta Bonet of Chile and Ambassador Sung-yo Choi of the Republic of Korea - prop...

Trade in urea and phosphate fertilizers has been severely disrupted by the conflict in the Persian Gulf, according to data analysed by the WTO Secretariat. Certain economies in Africa and Asia are par...

A new study on the WTO accession experiences of Arab countries was launched on 6 July 2026, drawing lessons from past and ongoing accession processes of countries in the Arab region. The study is aime...