Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on WTO members to make simultaneous progress on reforming the organization as well as on outstanding negotiating topics, urging delegations to "collectively advance the two sides of the same coin". She made her remarks at a 14-15 July General Council meeting where she reviewed work undertaken since the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in late March and where members adopted several decisions in favour of developing and least-developed country members.
On 14 July 2026, South Africa notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 10 July 2026 of a safeguard investigation on certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
Trade in urea and phosphate fertilizers has been severely disrupted by the conflict in the Persian Gulf, according to data analysed by the WTO Secretariat. Certain economies in Africa and Asia are particularly vulnerable to resulting fertilizer shortages and price hikes. Opening of the Strait of Hormuz – a key channel for fertilizer trade - will in due course contribute to easing trade frictions and restore stability to global markets.
At the 5th meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Bhutan held on 9 July, WTO members welcomed the country back to the negotiating table after 18 years. Bhutan reaffirmed its strong commitment to joining the WTO, while highlighting the positive economic developments achieved since 2008.
WTO members shared their views on the state of agricultural negotiations and discussed how best to move talks forward on 9 July at the WTO Committee on Agriculture in Special Session in Geneva. It was the first meeting of the WTO's agricultural negotiating body since the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon earlier this year, at which WTO members were unable to reach a consensus outcome on agriculture.
The Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 7 as part of the high-level coordination group established in April to maximize their institutions’ response to the energy, trade, and economic impact of the war in the Middle East. Following the meeting, they issued the statement below:
At a meeting of the Negotiating Group on Rules held on 8 July, the Chair, Ambassador Leslie Ramsammy of Guyana, reported on WTO members' active participation and constructive engagement in three information and thematic sessions on fisheries subsidies negotiations held since the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). He announced his intention to organize three Fish Weeks by the end of 2026, during which members will report on progress made in the negotiations and exchange views in thematic sessions.
On 8 July, the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Indonesia in European Union – Anti-Dumping Measures on Imports of Fatty Acid from Indonesia (DS622).
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, to the WTO on 8 July to discuss Georgia's economic and trade performance, its engagement in the multilateral trading system, and current developments in the global trading environment.
At a meeting on 7 July, WTO members participating in the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative reviewed outcomes from the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon and highlighted progress across key work areas since MC13. Members also examined global policy responses to energy market disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, focusing on lessons from crisis-support measures and approaches to promote the energy transition in the longer-term.
The WTO has issued a new edition of WTO Dispute Settlement: One-Page Case Summaries, a regularly updated publication that provides succinct summaries of every panel and Appellate Body report adopted by the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) and every arbitration decision or award notified to the DSB up to the end of 2025. The publication also includes summaries of panel reports circulated to WTO members and published on the WTO website that have not yet been adopted by the DSB, as they remain subject to pending appeals.
At a meeting on 6 July, co-sponsors of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) focused discussions on developing a workplan for 2026-27 in preparation for the 15th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC15) with a view to continuing to deliver concrete, practical and member-driven outcomes. They identified priority areas and expressed broad support for a balanced and streamlined plan that advances substantive work while maintaining a manageable workload.
During Development Week, held at the WTO from 6 to 9 July, members examined opportunities for least-developed countries (LDCs) in services trade, partnerships for trade capacity-building, progress under the Work Programme on Small Economies, and new proposals on economic growth, industrialization and support for developing economies.
At a meeting on 6 July, 79 WTO members participating in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) reviewed new booklets highlighting progress in their technical work so far and discussed TESSD's future priorities, working methods and potential deliverables in preparation for the WTO's 15th Ministerial Conference (MC15).
A new study on the WTO accession experiences of Arab countries was launched on 6 July 2026, drawing lessons from past and ongoing accession processes of countries in the Arab region. The study is aimed at providing insights to Arab governments in the process of seeking WTO membership, examining the challenges associated with WTO accession for Arab economies and identifying approaches for advancing accession negotiations. It is co-published by the WTO Secretariat, the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab Monetary Fund and the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade.
The WTO Fish Fund will provide grants to an additional 17 developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO members to help them implement the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, as approved by the WTO Fish Fund Steering Committee at its seventh meeting held on 2 and 3 July. The new grants, totalling nearly USD 2.2 million, were approved under the Fund's second Call for Proposals, which closed on 8 May.
A new report published today, 2 July, by the WTO and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) examines the transformative impact of digital trade on global economic structures, with a particular focus on how fit-for-purpose regulatory frameworks can support inclusive growth. The report explores the challenges and opportunities arising from the rapid digitalization of trade and considers how the digital divide between countries can be narrowed.
The WTO has announced the candidates selected for the 2026 Young Trade Leaders Programme, an initiative launched two years ago to foster a better understanding of the WTO's work and international trade among young people. Seven individuals have been selected to form the latest cohort, who will begin immediately for a period of one year.
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued a call on 1 July for deeper engagement between WTO members and academics, research institutes and other stakeholders in order to help advance ongoing discussions on WTO reform. Speaking at the opening of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) Annual Conference in Geneva, she highlighted the value of external perspectives in supporting members’ efforts to modernise and strengthen the multilateral trading system.
