The United Kingdom has contributed GBP 500,000 to the WTO's Global Trust Fund and GBP 1 million to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) — support totalling approximately CHF 1.56 million — to enhance the capacity of developing economies, including least developed countries (LDCs), (...)
In two separate contributions, the government of China has pledged USD 1.1 million (close to CHF 900,000) for 2026 to support the WTO’s Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Accessions Programme (also known as the China Programme) as well as the general fund that supports WTO technical (...)
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called for strong partnerships to meet the objectives of Phase Three of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a mechanism aimed at leveraging and coordinating support for trade and investment priorities in least-developed countries (LDCs). The new phase (...)
At a high-level event on women and trade held on 25 March in advance of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference, trade officials marked the progress made in enhancing women entrepreneurs' access to international markets. We are no longer just talking; we are delivering, WTO Director-General Ngozi (...)
In Yaoundé on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Conference on 25 March, a group of ministers underscored the central role of services trade in supporting development and emphasized the importance of WTO-World Bank efforts to help developing members overcome challenges. Director-General (...)
The 14th China Round Table on WTO Accessions, held on 25 March on the margins of the 14th Ministerial Conference, highlighted the role of WTO accession in fostering domestic reform, economic integration and development, looking particularly at the experience of African countries. At the (...)
At a high-level event on 25 March, on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, ministers of 128 WTO members participating in the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement showcased initiatives with global partners to support implementation of the Agreement and (...)
The outlook for world trade in 2026 will be shaped by two powerful and opposite forces. On the one hand, the extraordinary momentum of investment in artificial intelligence (AI) continues to energize global demand for high-tech goods and digitally delivered services. On the other hand, the (...)
World trade is set to slow in 2026 following stronger than expected growth in 2025 on the back of surging trade in AI-enabling products. WTO economists warn that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could further reduce trade growth if energy prices remain elevated, noting that it would also (...)
A WTO arbitrator was tasked on 19 March with determining the level of trade suspension Indonesia may impose on the European Union in the palm oil biofuels dispute, following Indonesia’s request to suspend concessions worth US$ 2.8–5.6 billion annually. At the same meeting, the Dispute Settlement (...)