WTO's Okonjo-Iweala Reports 72% Trade Under WTO Rules

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), stated that 72% of global goods trade continues to operate under WTO rules, despite significant global economic disruptions such as the aggressive tariff policies of the Donald Trump administration, US-China tensions, and the Iran war's impact on energy markets. Speaking with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, she expressed surprise at the resilience of the multilateral trading system, which remains crucial for businesses seeking stability and predictability.

Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that the WTO had initially projected a 2.4 to 2.5 percent growth in global goods trade for the previous year, but actual growth reached 4.6 percent, largely driven by AI-related goods. For 2026, the WTO projected a growth of 1.9 percent, yet first-quarter figures showed a growth of 3.2 percent.

She cautioned that the strong performance in AI-related trade is concentrated in East Asia and North America, particularly the United States, and warned against interpreting this as a sign of immunity to current economic shocks.