What's happened
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is at a critical juncture as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, threatening to impose significant tariffs and challenge the multilateral trading system. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasizes the need for middle powers to support the organization amid rising tensions.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Phillip Inman in The Guardian, Trump's return to power poses an existential threat to the WTO, as he plans to impose tariffs that could violate WTO rules. In contrast, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as reported by the South China Morning Post, emphasizes the importance of middle powers in supporting the multilateral trading system and warns against the fragmentation of global trade. The Independent highlights Okonjo-Iweala's optimism about working with the Trump administration, despite the challenges posed by his previous policies. This contrast illustrates the tension between protectionist rhetoric and the need for cooperative global trade.
How we got here
The WTO has struggled since the 1999 Seattle protests, which highlighted opposition to globalization. Trump's previous presidency saw significant tariff impositions, and his return raises concerns about the future of global trade agreements and the WTO's role.
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The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the regulation of international trade between nations.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.