WTO

Internet has been tariff-free for decades; if that changes, it's because the world has decided it can't allow the US to run its digital empire forever

This will give businesses greater predictability, says Goyal

A key area where member nations could not agree on was the moratorium on Customs duty on ecommerce

The larger takeaway from MC14 is the fragmentation of global trade governance

Ministerial ends without consensus on key issues including e-commerce tariffs and TRIPS, with talks set to continue in Geneva amid deep divisions among members

India has been resisting a long-term ecommerce duty moratorium citing concerns over revenue loss

A surge in DGTR anti-dumping actions may protect producers but risks raising costs for downstream industries, reviving concerns over creeping protectionism

India on Saturday said it has strongly opposed the contentious China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement for its incorporation into the WTO framework. Incorporation of the IFD agreement risks eroding the functional limits of the WTO and undermining its foundational principles, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a social media post. This was stated by India in the ongoing 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Yaounde, Cameroon. "At #WTOMC14, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi ji's philosophy of Truth prevailing over conformity, India showed the courage to stand alone on the contentious issue of the IFD Agreement and did not agree to its incorporation into the WTO framework as an Annex 4 Agreement," he said. Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement contains Plurilateral Trade Agreements that are binding only on the WTO members that have accepted them, unlike the mandatory multilateral agreements. As part of WTO reform

While the US and India acknowledge the need to reform the global trading system, they have resisted proposals of a substantive workplan on reforms

At WTO MC14, the US seeks to make the e-commerce duty moratorium permanent, while India resists, citing revenue loss concerns and the need for policy space

India's challenge at MC14 is conceptually clear, even if diplomatically complex: use the credibility conferred by its new bilateral relationships to defend, not dilute, the multilateral order

WTO's MC14 in Cameroon is set against geopolitical tensions and trade fragmentation, with limited expectations beyond preserving multilateral consensus

The global trade growth is expected to slow down to 1.9 per cent this year amid the West Asia crisis, the WTO said on Wednesday. WTO economists warn that the ongoing conflict in West Asia could further reduce trade growth if energy prices remain elevated, it said. It would also put pressure on food supplies and trade in services due to travel and transport disruptions. "...global merchandise trade growth would slow to 1.9 per cent in 2026 from 4.6 per cent in 2025, as trade is expected to normalise, following a surge in AI-related products and the front-loading of imports to avoid new tariffs," according to the WTO's Global Trade Outlook and Statistics. The forecast does not augur well for India as the country is looking to boost its shipments. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said this baseline forecast is under pressure from the conflict in the Middle East. "Sustained increases in energy prices could increase risks for global trade, with potential spillovers for food ..

The moratorium has divided nations for nearly three decades as economies including Brazil, India and South Africa argued they wanted to preserve domestic policy options rather than rubber-stamp it

With WTO reform on the MC-14 agenda in Yaounde, India faces a key choice on plurilateral deals like the IFDA and the future of global trade rules

India's support measures to promote manufacturing in the automobile and renewable energy sectors are fully compliant with World Trade Organisation norms and the country will strongly defend them at the WTO's dispute settlement panel meetings, an official said. Following a request by China, the WTO dispute settlement body on Tuesday announced the setting up of a panel to hear the case. The official said that India regrets China's decision to proceed with panel establishment despite extensive bilateral consultation on the matter in good-faith, during which India provided detailed explanations and clarifications on the measures. "India is of the view that China's request for panel establishment reflects an incorrect understanding of both the design and operation of the measures at issue. India maintains that the measures challenged by China are fully consistent with India's rights and obligations under the WTO Agreements, including the GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) 1994

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Friday held meetings with WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva and discussed issues pertaining to the forthcoming ministerial conference in Cameroon. The 14th ministerial conference (MC14) is scheduled at Yaounde, Cameroon, from March 26-29 this year. The conference is the highest decision-making body of the 166-member World Trade Organization (WTO). "Discussed key priorities for making MC14 a positive, balanced and inclusive Ministerial. Highlighted India's continued commitment towards constructive engagement with WTO Members for strengthening rules based MTS (multi-lateral trading system)," said a social media post by the Permanent Mission of India at WTO, Geneva. The Commerce Secretary also met with Permanent Representatives and Ambassadors of various developing countries and discussed key issues in the context of MC14. This was the first official engagement of Agrawal with WTO chief in Geneva after becoming commerce secretary. Besides ..

The rules-based international order, built after World War II to restrain power through law and institutions, is under scrutiny as Western leaders acknowledge gaps in how it has been applied

The US' memorandum is revealing of the various ways in which Washington now believes - to an extent across parties - that the WTO is not working properly

In 2025, multilateral trade rules weakened as the US raised tariffs, yet global trade stayed resilient, led by strong supply chains, China's leverage and India's adaptive policy response