2026年3月全球贸易更新：推动发展的贸易规则改革

Policy insights Reforming trade rules to drivedevelopment H I G H L I G H T S 1As the guardrails of global trade erode,long-term certainty is giving way to persistentpolicy volatility. 2Developing countries have the greatestdevelopmental stakein a well-functioningmultilateral trading system. 3Reform of the World Trade Organization(WTO)must restore certainty and predictabilityin international trade rules. 4A fully functioning dispute settlementsystem is essentialto ensure that the smallestand most vulnerable economies can resolvetrade disputes on an equal footing. A rules-based international tradingsystemhelps ensure that trade supportsboth economic growth and sustainabledevelopment.5 The multilateral trading system has played a fundamental role in shaping the global economyover the past several decades. Through a framework of negotiated rules and commitments,it has reduced discrimination in international trade, supported the expansion of cross-bordercommerce, and contributed to economic growth across many regions of the world. In recent years, however, the predictability of global trade rules has weakened. Some economieshave moved away from multilateral trade principles toward the use of trade measures to advanceindustrial policy objectives, national security priorities, and geopolitical competition. This shifthas increased uncertainty and volatility in market access and, together with the absence of afully functioning dispute settlement system, has undermined the ability of international trade tosupport development. Against this backdrop, discussion on reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has becomeincreasingly important. On March 26–29, 2026, the WTO’s 166 members will meet in Cameroonwith a shared mandate to advance reforms aimed at improving the organization’s functionality,strengthening its effectiveness, and facilitating the full participation of all members in its work.As the multilateral trading system faces growing scrutiny, meaningful reform requires updatingglobal trade rules to reflect the realities of the twenty-first-century global economy. Acentral challenge is ensuring that WTO reform adequately reflects the priorities anddevelopment needs of developing economies. The key question is thereforewhat kind of WTOreform developing economies need to harness trade opportunities for development?Answeringthis question and shaping a WTO that genuinely supports development is the collectiveresponsibility of the international community today. This issue of the Global Trade update examines several areas that are particularly relevantfrom a development perspective, including the role of the Most-Favoured Nation principle, theimportance of predictable market access for goods and services, the need for an effectivedispute settlement system, and the continued relevance of the multilateral trading system insupporting export diversification and broader development outcomes. Development must remaincentral to WTO reform effortsand the future trade agenda Developingcountries have high stakes in a well-functioning WTO because theorganization underpins the stable, predictable market access that these economiesrely on for growth.Over the past 20+ years, trade has been a central driver of economicexpansion for many developing countries. Integration into global markets facilitates investment,technology diffusion, job creation, and opportunities to move into higher-value activities. Exportearnings generate the foreign exchange needed to finance imports of capital goods, energy, andother essential inputs for development. Export revenues also support fiscal stability and helpgovernments manage external financial obligations. The smaller the economy, the more crucialtrade becomes, since domestic markets alone are often too limited to sustain robust growth.A WTO that ensures clear rules and predictable market access is therefore not a technicalconcern; it is central to the ability of developing countries to pursue sustainable developmentand long-term prosperity. Yet despite decades of commitments within the multilateral trading system to supportdevelopment, the ability of many developing economies to participate fully and benefitmeaningfully from international trade remains constrained. For many developing countries, especially the small and vulnerable, development-oriented provisions have not generally resulted in actual market access or valueaddition,raising fundamental questions about the effectiveness of existing rules andreinforcing calls for more operational, impactful mechanisms to support a favourable integrationof least developed countries (LDCs) into global trade. In particular, the United Nations DohaProgramme of Action for LDCs (2022–2031) envisioned these countries reaching a 2 per centshare of global exports by 2030, a target that remains far from being realized. LDCs’ shareof world exports has remained consistently low at around 1.1 per cent in 2024, comparedwith 1.0 per cent recorded