WTO News

1. United States launches safeguard investigation on lamb meat

   On 17 July 2026, the United States notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 13 July 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of lamb meat.

2. Members agree on 2026 chairpersons for subsidiary bodies of Goods Council

   WTO members reached consensus on 16 July on a slate of names of the chairpersons for 13 subsidiary bodies that report to the Council for Trade in Goods.

3. The value of the WTO: An economic viewpoint in six instalments Part II: Why MFN matters

4. South Africa notifies launch of safeguard investigation on certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel

   On 14 July 2026, South Africa notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 10 July 2026 of a safeguard investigation on certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

5. DG Okonjo-Iweala calls for simultaneous progress on WTO reform, outstanding negotiations

   Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on WTO members to make simultaneous progress on reforming the organization as well as on outstanding negotiating topics, urging delegations to "collectively advance the two sides of the same coin". She made her remarks at a 14-15 July General Council meeting where she reviewed work undertaken since the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in late March and where members adopted several decisions in favour of developing and least-developed country members.