WTO News

1. Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body

   The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 5 June 2025, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially called an “airgram”.

2. Malawi 100th WTO member to formally accept Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

   On 28 May, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received Malawi’s instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies from Malawi’s WTO Ambassador Caroline Bwanali-Mussa. Malawi brings to 100 the number of WTO members that have deposited their instrument of acceptance with the WTO.

3. Members agree on 2025 chairpersons for subsidiary bodies of Goods Council

   WTO members reached consensus on 27 May on a slate of names of the chairpersons for the 14 subsidiary bodies that report to the Council for Trade in Goods. The Chair of the Goods Council, Mr. Gustavo Nerio Lunazzi (Argentina), thanked delegations for their cooperation and flexibility in reaching consensus.

4. The Netherlands gives CHF 1.3 million to strengthen STDF projects for food safety, trade

   The Netherlands is extending its partnership with the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), committing CHF 1.3 million to help developing economies enhance their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacities. This contribution, which will enable value chain participants to strengthen compliance with international food safety, animal and plant health standards, will be distributed over two years, starting in 2025.

5. Members consider China’s request for panel to examine Canadian surtax measures

   At a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 23 May, WTO members considered a request from China for the establishment of a dispute panel to review surtax measures imposed by Canada on certain products of Chinese origin, including electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products.