GENEVA | Xinhua | Chinese economic recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be an important factor in driving world trade growth, said Ralph Ossa, chief economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in a recent interview with Xinhua. On Wednesday, the WTO published the 2024 edition of …
Read More »Uganda’s trade amidst changing global trends
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several African countries are on the way to being declared middle-income economies, with the declaration of some coming sooner than Uganda’s, amidst major disruptions in global trade. These disruptions include the reorganization of trade routes and partnerships due to the geopolitical situations in Eastern Europe, …
Read More »China formally accepts WTO Agreement on fisheries subsidies
Tianjin, China | XINHUA | Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao submitted the instrument of acceptance for the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in north China’s Tianjin Municipality on Tuesday. The submission means the Chinese side has completed its domestic legal procedures …
Read More »U.S. ban on “Made in Hong Kong” label violates trading laws: WTO
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled on Wednesday that the United States was violating international trading laws by requiring Hong Kong products to be labeled as “Made in China.” The U.S. origin marking requirement has violated the country’s obligation under the trade body’s rules, said a …
Read More »Crisis in Ukraine could slash global trade growth by half in 2022: WTO
The conflict has pushed up food and energy prices, and reduced the availability of goods exported by Russia and Ukraine Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has dealt a severe blow to the global economy, reducing forecasted global trade growth for 2022 from the 4.7 …
Read More »The world must avoid another food crisis
It is becoming clear that the Ukraine war’s economic and humanitarian repercussions – especially rising food prices – will be felt far beyond Europe, and international community must act now. COMMENT | NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA | The war in Ukraine is causing immense, heart-wrenching human suffering. At the World Trade Organization, …
Read More »Inside Africa’s development dilemma
The dark side of African Continental Free Trade Area Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | Africa’s heads of state on March 21, 2018 descended onto the hills of Kigali, Rwanda, to sign the long awaited agreement to create the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that encompasses more than 1.2billion …
Read More »New female leaders in int’l trade inspire women to enter the game
WTO members made history February 15, 2021 when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | One week into her new job as the seventh director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as head …
Read More »WTO Chief Okonjo-Iweala welcomes apology from Swiss newspaper for ‘racist and sexist’ headline
Kampala, Uganda | Ronald Musoke | Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has welcomed an apology from Aargauer Zeitung a Swiss publication which on Feb.09 published a story about her with what online readers referred to as “a racist and sexist headline.” The distasteful headline, “This grandmother will be the new chief of …
Read More »WTO’s first African director-general can help rebalance global trade
WTO members made history February 15, 2021 when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The appointment of Nigeria-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the first African director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) can help rebalance …
Read More »