World Trade Organisation

THE BOTTOM LINE

The case for a multilateral trade organisation without America

Joint action can protect open, rules-based commerce and counter the US’ divide-and-rule tactics

WTO deputy director-general Johanna Hill speaking at a media conference, where she said trends such as AI are reshaping the global economy and international trade.

AI to boost global trade by 40%; Singapore cited as regulatory model: WTO report

The Republic is highlighted as an example of how resource-constrained economies can effectively leverage AI by adapting existing open-weight models rather than developing proprietary ones from scratch

The global trading system is showing resilience.  World Trade Organization members have thus far avoided what could have been a bruising retaliatory trade war with the US.
PERSPECTIVE

A stress test for global trade

The WTO core still holds, but members must use this crisis to push reform

India, the world’s second-largest crude steel producer, told the WTO that Washington’s “safeguard measures” would affect US$7.6 billion worth of India-made products imported into the United States.

India proposes counter duties against US, notice to WTO shows

[NEW DELHI] India has proposed to levy import duties on some products made in the United States to counter Washington’s tariffs on steel and aluminium products produced in Asia’s No.3 economy, a notic...

Customs duties on electronic transmissions are not currently allowed under a moratorium that the WTO’s 164 members extended by consensus for two years at their ministerial meeting in the UAE in March.

WTO members signal progress on draft e-commerce deal

About half of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) members reached a preliminary deal on e-commerce that would permanently ban tariffs on digital transactions that are zipping across borders at twice ...

The recent 13th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization struggled mightily without doing anything of significance, despite going into overtime.
EDITORIAL

The WTO may be on its last legs

TO DESCRIBE the outcome of the WTO meeting in Abu Dhabi as a mere “failure” would be an understatement. The recent 13th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) struggled mightily wit...

Despite the WTO’s rosy outlook, leading economic indicators in the US and Europe are showing signs of slowing.

Global trade growth poised for Q3 rebound: WTO

GLOBAL trade growth will grow at a “moderate pace” in the third quarter of the year, continuing the uptick from the prior period after two quarters of decline, the World Trade Organization said. 

American consumers get a US$7,500 tax credit for purchasing an EV that meets requirements for US-made content; and the federal government will be subsidising new EV-battery production to the tune of US$7 billion.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Multilateralism is still better 

WASHINGTON, DC – The great statesmanship and leadership that the United States showed during and after World War II is well known. America was the world’s preeminent political, economic, and military ...

The US indifference toward the global trade architecture seems misguided.

Death of the WTO is no ‘glass onion’ mystery

In slowly killing off the World Trade Organization, the US is abandoning not only an institution that it helped build, but also its own long-held belief that increasing trade and removing trade barrie...

Participants of the JSI have committed to intensifying negotiations, and expect to reach a substantial conclusion by year's end.

Singapore, other WTO members aim to firm up e-commerce agreement in 2023

SOME 22 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have agreed to exercise “pragmatism and flexibility” in order to speed up negotiations for a key e-commerce agreement. They now aim to reach a su...