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WTO should change if trading system shifts to reciprocity, balance: US
“The WTO needs to change if it intends to have any relevance as the international trading system transitions to focus on reciprocity and balance. The United States, with this report, continues to lead on concrete proposals to promote member-driven reform discussions,” said US Trade Represenative Jamison Greer in a statement.
The US believes WTO members can take a step toward levelling the playing field by strengthening incentives to comply with existing obligations to submit notifications, said a report from the US delegation at the WTO circulated among members.
The report addresses transparency, eligibility for special and differential treatment, plurilateral negotiations, the role of the MFN principle and the Secretariat.
“Our report addresses key issues such as transparency, eligibility for special and differential treatment, plurilateral negotiations, the role of the most favoured nation principle, the role of the Secretariat, and essential security.”
The report builds on an initial paper issued by the United States in December 2025 and is intended to give impetus to reform discussions during and after MC14.
Washington believes that WTO members should seek to restore the purpose of special and differential treatment (SDT) by agreeing to objective criteria for determining eligibility and efforts should focus on finding a more flexible pathway to incorporate plurilateral agreements into the WTO architecture.
Members need to rethink how the most favoured nation (MFN) principle functions in its current form and embark on a frank discussion of the link between MFN and reciprocity, which itself is a bedrock WTO founding principle, the report noted.
Members should ensure the WTO Secretariat serves the interests of the members, and not of the institution or any abstract trading ‘system’, it said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)