: The WTO Fish Fund has marked an important milestone with the submission to the WTO of the first-ever fisheries subsidy notification made possible through support from the Fund. The submission on 3 June by Tonga under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies has additional significance given the developing Pacific region's exposure to the effects of harmful fisheries subsidies. The notification was prepared during a workshop held from 20 to 22 May in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, as part of a project funded by the Fish Fund, and contributes to Tonga’s implementation of the
: When I took up the position of WTO Chief Economist in January 2026, I knew that the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference, known as MC14, would be important for the future of the organization. Held at the end of March in Yaoundé, Cameroon, MC14 was my first Ministerial and therefore my first opportunity to see, at close range, how members would use this moment not only to negotiate, but also to take stock of the institution itself. I returned from Yaoundé with a clearer sense of where the institution now
: At a meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement on 14 October, parties to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) 2012 welcomed Timor-Leste's submission of key documents required to kick off its negotiations on acceding to the Agreement. The Committee also reviewed regulatory developments, heard updates on the accession process of other members, and for the first time conducted a dialogue with the private sector on the significance of the Agreement in a changing trade
: The WTO Secretariat launched a new publication on the role of stablecoins in supporting cross-border trade on 14 September on the sidelines of the WTO's first World Trade and Tech Day. The report, prepared by the Economic Research and Statistics Division and the Trade in Services and Investment Division, examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of stablecoins in facilitating international trade, highlighting how they can accelerate cross-border payments and their potential to increase participation in the international trading system, especially for developing
: The WTO Secretariat launched a new publication on the role of stablecoins in supporting cross-border trade on 14 September on the sidelines of the WTO's first World Trade and Tech Day. The report, prepared by the Economic Research and Statistics Division and the Trade in Services and Investment Division, examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of stablecoins in facilitating international trade, highlighting how they can accelerate cross-border payments and their potential to increase participation in the international trading system, especially for developing
: Global trade proved more resilient than expected in the first half of 2026 despite the disruption caused by the Middle East conflict, as supply chains adapted and strong investment in artificial intelligence provided a powerful boost to goods trade. However, the resilience was not uniform, with services trade and some regions more exposed to the effects of the conflict. WTO economists have therefore raised the forecast for merchandise trade growth in 2026 while lowering the outlook for services