Ministers and senior officials attending the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) participated in a series of meetings on 28 March to address key issues on the WTO agenda and to provide political direction for the post-MC14 work ahead.
The Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) is serving as a practical, confidence building bridge for WTO members committed to a fully functioning dispute settlement system pending an agreement on dispute settlement reform, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on 28 March. She made her remarks at a meeting of parties to the MPIA on the sidelines of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14).
A high-level meeting dedicated to reinforcing cooperation and trade relations between Africa and Latin America was held on the margins of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) on 27 March. In a keynote address, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the importance of this initiative to diversify trade and continue improving South-South trade.
On 27 March 2026, the European Union notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated, on the same day (27 March 2026), a safeguard investigation on imports of grain-oriented electrical steel.
The government of Australia has committed an additional AUD 2 million (approximately CHF 1.2 million) to the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism, known as the Fish Fund, to assist developing and least-developed members in implementing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This contribution builds on Australia's earlier contribution of AUD 2 million in May 2023.
Investment in the cotton, textiles and garments sector can help transform economic development in Central and West Africa, said speakers at a high-level event on the eve of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25 March and at the opening ceremony on 26 March. Ministers, heads of international agencies, development finance institutions, private sector partners and FIFA representatives highlighted the opportunities for Africa to weave its way up the value chain to accelerate economic growth.
On 26 March, the opening day of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), the six co-coordinators of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) — Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco — presented a ministerial statement and a package of five technical documents. Together, they reflect the progress achieved by participating members since MC13 and set out a forward-looking roadmap for trade-related cooperation to address plastics pollution.
The outlook for world trade in 2026 will be shaped by two powerful and opposite forces. On the one hand, the extraordinary momentum of investment in artificial intelligence (AI) continues to energize global demand for high-tech goods and digitally delivered services. On the other hand, the conflict in the Middle East – and the resulting spike in energy and transport costs – could weigh heavily on world trade and output.
On 19 March, ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, 79 WTO members participating in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) unveiled a package of outcome documents showcasing progress achieved over the past five years and highlighting the group’s substantive analytical work across several workstreams since MC13. Members also expressed their readiness to shift towards priority areas and deliver concrete actions after MC14.
A WTO arbitrator was tasked on 19 March with determining the level of trade suspension Indonesia may impose on the European Union in the palm oil biofuels dispute, following Indonesia’s request to suspend concessions worth US$ 2.8–5.6 billion annually. At the same meeting, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) also agreed to the EU’s second request for a panel to review Chinese measures on global licensing terms for standard essential patents.
World trade is set to slow in 2026 following stronger than expected growth in 2025 on the back of surging trade in AI-enabling products. WTO economists warn that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could further reduce trade growth if energy prices remain elevated, noting that it would also put pressure on food supplies and services trade due to travel and transport disruptions. Prospects could still improve if the conflict ends quickly and the boom in AI spending continues.
On 18 March 2026, Canada notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 16 March 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of certain vegetable goods.
The WTO's Committee on Market Access (CMA) agreed at its 16-17 March meeting on procedures to improve how the resolution of trade concerns are recorded in the Committee. Thirty-three trade concerns were raised at the two-day meeting, of which seven were raised for the first time. The Committee also endorsed a communication to the World Customs Organization asking to improve the tariff classification of menstrual products.
The WTO is inviting applications for the 2026 Young Trade Leaders Programme, an initiative aimed at fostering a better understanding of the WTO's work and international trade among young people and creating a network of Young Trade Leaders around the world.
A ceremony held at the WTO headquarters on 12 March marked the launch of the 2026 edition of two WTO technical assistance programmes, the French Irish Mission Programme (FIMiP) and the Netherlands Talent Programme (NTP). Welcoming participants, Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang highlighted the timeliness of these programmes, with the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference due to take place from 26 to 29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Meeting on 11-13 March, the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures reviewed 76 SPS-related trade concerns raised by WTO members, a record for the committee. Earlier in the week, the Committee's Transparency Working Group met to consider possible improvements to notifications in order to facilitate tracking, disseminating and engaging on SPS requirements.
On 11 March 2026, the Russian Federation notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards of the initiation on 4 March 2026 of a safeguard investigation on tinplate (certain flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel) imported into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union.
A high-level event marking the launch of the Enhanced Integrated Framework’s (EIF) third phase of activities will take place on the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25 March. The EIF’s work is dedicated to harnessing trade and investment for prosperity and sustainable economic growth in least-developed countries (LDCs).
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala updated members on final preparations for the WTO's upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to take place on 26-29 March. She told a 10-12 March meeting of the General Council that she intends to send to ministers an informal "state-of-play" package next week with documents representing the current state of work in Geneva, as well as a final "Road to Yaoundé" document outlining how MC14 will be conducted.
