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World Trade Organization (WTO)

World Trade Organization (WTO)
The latest news, analysis and opinion on World Trade Organization (WTO). In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A worker coats eyeglass lenses, on June 6, in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China manufacturing

Macroscope | How ‘post-industrial’ buyer’s remorse set in for the West and Japan

After decades of hollowing out their manufacturing bases, Western and Japanese policymakers can and should do more than bewail China’s rise.

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US-China relations

US lawmakers push for fewer tax breaks to reduce reliance on China technology

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China-EU relations

China-EU joint statement on trade

China-EU relations

EU sets China October deadline for ‘tangible results’ after key trade talks

Marathon session in Brussels sees Beijing agreeing to establish a ‘joint monitoring mechanism of trade flows’ to help ease economic tensions.

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EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic speaks to the press following a meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Brussels on Monday. Photo: EPA
Trade

‘Dangerous moment’: academic calls for US expulsion from WTO over protectionism

Even as US trade policy fractures the global system, China faces ‘credibility problem’ in trade leadership over its own practices.

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China-Latin America relations

China urges Brazil to jointly repel ‘external challenges’ as ties deepen

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira meets Wang Yi and Han Zheng as Brazil seeks key stable fertiliser supply amid US-Iran conflict.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US and China must talk to manage dangers of AI contest in a nuclear age

The coexistence of the nuclear age with the AI age is a cocktail for unprecedented existential danger. Engagement, not decoupling, is needed.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trump leaves China after much pomp and pageantry, but little to show for it

US president’s much-anticipated summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing resulted in more fanfare than concrete policy change, analysts say.

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China trade

How this Chinese city is netting profits amid 2026 World Cup fever

Yiwu, the world’s capital of small goods, tackles global market for football-related merchandise as buzz builds ahead of major tournament.

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SCMP Exclusives

Exclusive | Un-sanctioned: China to welcome Dutch trade minister amid Nexperia, ASML discord

Source says Beijing has quietly dropped an old sanctioning of Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who recently spoke of wanting to lead a Dutch trade mission to China.

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Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, the Dutch trade minister, is interviewed in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 10. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

China threatens EU firms over cybersecurity plans targeting Chinese companies

China’s commerce ministry warns broad retaliation is on the table if firms such as Huawei and ZTE are penalised by proposed law.

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Beijing has submitted to the EU on its cybersecurity regulations with a threat of retaliatory probes and the promise of litigation if Chinese firms are targeted. Photo: Shutterstock
China GDP

First tariffs, now war: how Asia is facing a second year of economic shocks

Global institutions forecast slower growth in Asia-Pacific this year, as the Iran war and tariff risks combine to disrupt global trade.

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Banking & finance

Yiwu market owner eyes Hong Kong IPO to support overseas expansion

Hong Kong listing plan comes after the company reported net profit of 4.2 billion yuan for 2025, up 36.8 per cent from a year earlier.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to reporters outside the White House. Photo: AP
Taiwan

Names and games: Taipei hits back over ‘China’ label, but will it pay off?

Taiwan retaliates against countries that have changed its name in official systems, but analysts and lawmakers warn measures could backfire.

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Taiwan says it has adopted a strategy combining “flexibility and firmness” to resolve its naming dispute with South Korea. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

China launches investigations into US trade practices. Why now?

Washington’s measures may breach WTO rules and past agreements, commerce ministry says.

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Trade

Opinion | As Trump wrecks trade, WTO meeting in Cameroon is a show of defiance

Trade ministerial conference shows that most nations still value multilateral cooperation over the chaotic whims of a hegemon.

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China trade

China says Mexico’s tariff hikes constitute ‘trade barriers’ after probe

The tariff increases – made in part to appease demands from Washington – have been designated a breach of trade rules by Beijing.

Natural gas-powered buses bound for Mexico are loaded onto a ship at Yantai Port in east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua
CPTPP

Opinion | Pacific trade vitality shows multilateralism is alive and well

With the US in retreat, nations committed to economic integration are moving forward through partnerships like the CPTPP.

US-China trade war

Trump’s 2026 trade agenda sharpens push for ‘managed’ US-China ties

US Trade Representative report touts deficit drop, pledges tougher Section 301 enforcement ahead of Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi.

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China-EU relations

EU too slow to act as China rewrites global trade rules, trade chief Sefcovic warns

Commissioner calls for faster trade probes and WTO reform as Brussels confronts overcapacity, subsidies and a US$424 billion deficit.

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Maros Sefcovic said Brussels is reviewing trade defence tools and monitoring imports of Chinese plug-in hybrid vehicles. Photo: AFP
China trade

China defends WTO’s ‘equal treatment’ rule – what it means for global trade

Beijing warns that ending non-discrimination in global trade rules could see powerful countries dominate smaller ones.

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The WTO launched a formal self-review in 2022, and is expected to discuss reform proposals in March. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

Diplomacy

Opinion | The 21st-century order has outgrown 20th-century institutions

Despite international tensions, countries still seek cooperation based on shared interests. Institutions must embrace this trend.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
European Union

China cuts EU dairy tariffs, easing trade tensions after EV dispute

EU called Beijing’s tariffs ‘unwarranted’, and mulls WTO action, but China cutting some duties signals possible improvement in ties.

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China slashes EU dairy tariffs easing trade tensions. Photo: Reuters
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Outside In | Apec’s quiet cooperation still matters in a noisy, divided world

Year-round, multiple intensive working meetings keep the forum an ‘engine room’ of cooperation, reflecting its commitment to multilateralism.

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US-China trade war

Canada’s former deputy PM hopes for less economic dependency on China in future

Canada’s former deputy prime minister supports economic system ‘in which China works’ but other countries’ vulnerabilities are limited.

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