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Making trade work for everyone. Follow also: @NOIweala.bsky.social This is the official account of the WTO. www.wto.org

📢 In this month's "News Harvest": ▶️Conflicts, trade disruptions, affecting food security ▶️@wfp.org: 45 mn more people could face acute hunger ▶️Aid cuts undermining animal health, @woahglobal.bsky.social warns Read: https://bit.ly/4ebIvJu Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3LmmvtR #WTOAg

We have heard from many of you already. Now we would like to hear from a few more. 📆 The call for proposals for the #WTOPublicForum has been extended until 17 June at midnight Geneva time. Join us in shaping this year's conversation. More: https://bit.ly/3SGstyM

On 8 June 2026, South Africa notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 5 June 2026 of a safeguard investigation on A3 and A4 office paper imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

The Sixth review of the trade policies and practices of Uruguay takes place on 10 and 12 June 2026. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Uruguay.

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 stands.

At the Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting on 10-11 June 2026, WTO members continued discussions on a total of 25 proposals submitted under the second review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Members also agreed to hold a dedicated session on trade facilitation issues for small economies and discussed transit issues facing landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).

The deadline for submitting proposals for this year's Public Forum - entitled Powering the Future - has been extended to 17 June 2026. Individuals interested in organizing sessions at the Forum, to be held from 15 to 17 September, are invited to complete an online application form.

At an event in London on 10 June, Deputy Director-General DJ Nordquist emphasized that the WTO continues to provide the foundation for the large majority of global trade, even as the trading system adapts to new technologies, shifting supply chains and geopolitical uncertainty. She also stressed the importance of advancing WTO reform while preserving the predictability and transparency on which businesses depend. DDG Nordquist spoke at the launch of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre's Future of Trade Report 2026. Her remarks are below.

WTO members examined a number of questions related to preshipment inspection (PSI) at an 8 June meeting of the Committee on Customs Valuation. Drawing on recent private sector input and member experiences, the discussions focused on future Committee work related to PSI and how PSI issues should continue to be addressed. The Committee also examined 34 customs valuation notifications submitted by members for review and a trade concern raised by one member.

Co-sponsors of the E-Commerce Agreement (ECA) met on 9 June to discuss preparations for ratifying the world's first baseline set of global digital trade rules. The ratification process forms part of the interim arrangements adopted by over 60 members at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), pending incorporation of the ECA into the WTO rulebook.