WTO Chief Backs U.S. Push for Trade System Overhaul

The head of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, supports U.S. initiatives for reforming global trade ahead of a pivotal meeting in Cameroon. Despite reservations about U.S. tariffs, she emphasizes the importance of revamping the trading system to enhance its robustness and resilience.

The chief of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for reforming the global trading framework. This comes in the lead-up to a significant meeting of the trade regulator in Cameroon.

President Trump's executive order last year imposed tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% on U.S. imports from various countries. The legality of these tariffs is currently under assessment by the U.S. Supreme Court. Okonjo-Iweala, while not in favor of the tariffs, sees them as a prompt to embark on necessary changes in the world trading system.

She emphasized that although the trading system is resilient, it lacks robustness, necessitating vital reforms. She urged Europe and middle powers to curb complaints about U.S. trade policies and instead take command of the situation by demonstrating leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)