WTO Annual Report 2026: Key developments in global trade (09 Sep)
The WTO Annual Report 2026 highlights the resilience of global trade amid geopolitical tensions, rising tariffs, and increasing trade policy uncertainty. The Report notes the continued importance of the WTO's rules-based trading system. It also records key developments such as the entry into force of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the outcomes of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) on fisheries subsidies, developing economies and small economies, and progress towards implementing the plurilateral Agreement on Electronic Commerce. At the same time, the Report identifies digitalisation, artificial intelligence, environmental measures, and changes in global supply chains, alongside continuing geopolitical tensions, as challenges for the multilateral trading system, underscoring the need for continued WTO reform and adaptation.
