GENEVA - The United States told World Trade Organization colleagues this week that it could not accept a draft workplan intended to shape reform of the global trade body ahead of a major gathering of trade ministers in Cameroon later this month.
Delegations led by Norway have spent months preparing a position paper on reforms, and the paper was expected to be the primary focus at the ministerial meeting set for March 26-29. But in a statement on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Joseph Barloon said the draft could not be accepted in its current form.
"We cannot accept a workplan that in our view undermines our collective efforts to move forward," Barloon said, adding that the discussions on the proposed reforms were not sufficiently mature and that the draft position paper contained ambiguous language.
The U.S. objection was raised during a meeting in Geneva earlier in the week. Under WTO rules, decisions at that level require consensus from all 166 members, meaning Washington's stance effectively rules out the possibility of securing agreement on reforms at the Cameroon session unless objections are resolved.
Barloon emphasised that Washington is pursuing an ambitious agenda for reform and said he looked forward to hearing the positions of other countries. The timing is sensitive: the debate over the WTO's future comes amid concerns that, without timely reform, key decisions about global trade could be made outside the 30-year-old watchdog.
Context included in the meeting materials
The meeting documents circulated among delegates also contained promotional material about investment research tools and services. One excerpt advised investors that institutional-grade data and AI-powered insights can aid investment decisions, and invited readers to consider tools that may help identify promising investments for 2026. The material framed such services as a complement to, but not a guarantee of, investment success.
What to watch next
- Whether members can revise the draft text to address the U.S. concerns before the Cameroon ministerial.
- How other WTO members respond to Washington's demand for clearer and more mature discussion language.
- Whether the objection will prompt further rounds of negotiation in Geneva prior to the ministerial session.