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 (...)
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 (...)
The WTO Fish Fund has marked an important milestone with the submission to the WTO of the first-ever fisheries subsidy notification made possible through support from the Fund. The submission on 3 June by Tonga under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies has additional significance given the (...)
Co-sponsors of the E-Commerce Agreement (ECA) met on 9 June to discuss preparations for ratifying the world's first baseline set of global digital trade rules. The ratification process forms part of the interim arrangements adopted by over 60 members at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), (...)
Following World Food Safety Day on 7 June, the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) has launched its 2025 Annual Report, Accelerating Safe Trade: From Innovation to Scale. The report showcases how investments in strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems are improving (...)
On 8 June 2026, South Africa notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 5 June 2026 of a safeguard investigation on A3 and A4 office paper imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
WTO members examined a number of questions related to preshipment inspection (PSI) at an 8 June meeting of the Committee on Customs Valuation. Drawing on recent private sector input and member experiences, the discussions focused on future Committee work related to PSI and how PSI issues should (...)
Global merchandise trade appears to have remained resilient in the first half of 2026 despite headwinds from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which seem to have been partly offset by rising demand for electronic components related to investment in artificial intelligence, according to (...)
Public and private sector representatives joined the Committee on Import Licensing’s second experience-sharing session on 4 June, focusing on improving WTO members' transparency and notification compliance. Speakers from Cambodia, the European Union, Myanmar, Thailand and the United States (...)
At a series of meetings held from 2 to 4 June, the WTO Council for Trade in Services and its subsidiary bodies discussed a broad range of issues for possible future work, ranging from the services aspects of electronic commerce to the green services economy. Members also agreed to hold a (...)