At a meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan on 9 March, the head of Uzbekistan's delegation, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, said his country is committed to bringing Uzbekistan’s accession process to a successful conclusion this year. Thanking members for supporting Uzbekistan's accession during a very busy period, he reaffirmed the country's commitment to engage constructively with all Working Party members. Uzbekistan stands ready to address any remaining issues in a spirit of partnership and mutual understanding, he added.
Why do economies negotiate trade agreements? If unilateral free trade can benefit an economy, why do governments devote so much effort to negotiating reciprocal tariff reductions and detailed trade rules with their partners? The answer lies in a fundamental feature of trade policy: when governments act independently, their policies affect not only their own economies but also the economies of others.
A high-level event on cotton will be held on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25 March to highlight cotton’s importance to global trade and investment opportunities, particularly for Central and West African countries looking to move up the value chain. The event will feature the launch of the Partenariat pour le Coton Investment Platform, spotlighting of fashion and textile/garment entrepreneurs, and unveiling by FIFA representatives and Cameroon football legends of FIFA's tee-shirts and polo shirts to be distributed under the FIFA Football for Schools programme.
The coordinators of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) on 6 March finalized the ministerial statement for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled to take place on 26-29 March in Cameroon. The statement was first introduced by the co coordinators in November 2025 and has been continuously updated to reflect members’ perspectives following intensive consultations.
The Chair of the negotiations on agriculture, Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain (Pakistan), has circulated a revised draft text ahead of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 29 March. Most WTO members welcomed the draft as a basis for consensus at a meeting of the negotiating body on 6 March, although a couple of members said they do not find it acceptable in its current form.
Speaking at the 8th South-South Dialogue on Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Development on 6 March in Geneva, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the importance of members' work to reform the WTO in the run-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) to be held on 26-29 March. She acknowledged the progress they have made in addressing LDCs’ trade priorities and encouraged LDCs to continue pursuing their trade interests.
To mark the upcoming International Women's Day on 8 March, the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund on 6 March announced its plans to disburse US$ 1.76 million in grants in the first quarter of 2026 to benefit 219 women-led enterprises in the Dominican Republic, Mongolia and Nigeria. The first disbursement sets in motion the innovative design of the WEIDE Fund, which introduces a new model of grant financing supported by technical assistance and exposure to a multistakeholder ecosystem for enterprises.
The European Union has contributed EUR 75,000 (approximately CHF 69,500) to support the participation of government officials from least developed countries (LDCs) at the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held from 26 to 29 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The contribution aims to ensure broad and inclusive participation in the WTO’s highest decision making body.
The European Union is contributing EUR 1 million (approximately CHF 928,000) to support developing economies including least developed countries (LDCs) in strengthening their participation in the multilateral trading system for 2026–2027.
WTO members on 5 March completed a series of meetings dedicated to advancing work on WTO reform. Over the past month, members have exchanged views on a draft ministerial statement and a work plan intended to frame the scope of reform efforts following the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) on 26-29 March. They also finalized preparations for the ministerial level political discussion on reform to be held at MC14 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The reform facilitator, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, described the exchanges as substantive, thoughtful and conducted throughout in a positive spirit.
The WTO Secretariat and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 March to enhance sustainable trade and investment worldwide. The agreement marks the beginning of a partnership that will leverage the EIB’s financial resources and investment facilitation tools developed under the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement concluded by a large number of WTO members to improve the regulatory environment, unlock investment and expand opportunities for developing countries.
At a meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement on 4 March, parties to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) discussed issues concerning GPA implementation and progress in accession negotiations. Parties also elected a new Committee chair, Mr William Westerveld Jensen of Norway.
At a meeting on the Work Programme on E-Commerce on 3 March, WTO members considered a proposal to establish a Committee on Digital Trade as part of a draft decision on e-commerce for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), which will take place from 26 to 29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Members also continued discussions on the reinvigoration of the Work Programme and on the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions on the basis of two other proposals.
At a meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) on 3 March, WTO members reviewed five regional trade agreements (RTAs) involving Comoros, the European Union, Mozambique, Indonesia, China, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and the Faroe Islands. They also reviewed other topics relevant to the Committee's work under the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs.
The Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) on 2 March welcomed South Africa as the 105th member participating in the initiative. Participants discussed plans for the upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) at the end of March and engaged with small business leaders to learn from their experiences. They also continued thematic discussions on the informal economy and received updates on other areas of the Group’s work.
At a meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture on 27 February, members provided feedback on a new draft ministerial decision introduced by Argentina in addition to eight other submissions circulated since December 2025. In the absence of clear consensus around any single proposal, and in response to calls to take the lead, the Chair circulated later in the day a draft ministerial text for members' consideration ahead of the General Council meeting on 10-11 March and the 14th Ministerial Conference on 26-29 March.
At a meeting held on 26 February, the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) took stock of progress in various formats to galvanize work on the trade-and-environment nexus, with particular emphasis on trade and climate measures. They also considered next steps, including enhancing transparency of such measures on a voluntary and pilot basis. In addition, members heard updates on the work in other international fora as well as developments in several member-led environmental initiatives at the WTO.
At the Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting on 25 February 2026, WTO members advanced work on the second review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), discussed technical assistance coordination and continued experience-sharing sessions.
Global value chains are the backbone of the world economy, even at a time when they are undergoing structural and policy-driven changes in the face of a rapidly changing global environment.
The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) agreed at its meeting on 24 February to a request from China for the establishment of a panel to review certain measures imposed by India in the automotive and renewable energy sectors. The United States notified its decision to appeal the panel report in a case initiated by China regarding certain tax credits under the US Inflation Reduction Act.
