WTO members participating in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) met on 29-30 October to advance work on finalizing outcomes for four sustainability topics for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). Technical discussions focused on enhancing the circularity of the electronics sector, and trade in environmental goods and services related to sustainable agriculture. Members also welcomed Thailand as the initiative's 79th co-sponsor.

30 October 2025

On 29 October, a WTO arbitrator issued its decision on the level of countermeasures the European Union may request with respect to the United States in "United States — Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties on Ripe Olives from Spain" (DS577). The arbitrator also decided on the methodology the EU may use to fix the level of suspension of concessions or other obligations vis-à-vis the United States if, in the future, the US applies on EU agricultural products the countervailing duty measure that had been found to be inconsistent with WTO rules.

29 October 2025

The WTO’s Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices met on 29 October 2025 to review members’ latest notifications of new, amended or previously reviewed anti-dumping laws and regulations as well as reports on anti-dumping actions.

29 October 2025

The First review of the trade policies and practices of the United Kingdom takes place on 28 and 30 October 2025. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of the United Kingdom.

28 October 2025

At a meeting of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) on 28 October, Chair Jungsoo Hur (Republic of Korea) reiterated that members' submission of subsidy notifications is the most fundamental transparency obligation under the SCM Agreement. He expressed continued concern over chronically low submission rates.

28 October 2025

At a meeting on 27 October, the WTO Committee on Safeguards reviewed members' safeguard actions covering 30 products, 10 of which were steel/metal products. These actions were notified since the Committee's last meeting in April 2025. The United States responded to various members' requests for consultations and to their proposed suspensions of concessions in respect of certain US tariffs. The United Kingdom and Canada exchanged views on the UK's proposal to suspend concessions regarding certain Canadian measures.

27 October 2025

Research in developing a new Trade Policy Activity (TPA) index by a group of WTO and IMF economists reveals a marked pick-up in trade policy activity from around 2019-2020, reflecting increased interventions in trade for a range of policy objectives. The change also corresponds to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, heightened trade policy tensions among large economies, and rising geopolitical risks. Future development of the indicator can fill an important information gap by providing policymakers with an early alert of possible policy shifts.

24 October 2025

A high-level forum organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 22 and 23 October in partnership with the WTO Secretariat highlighted how international trade can support Central Asian economies and neighbouring states by driving economic growth and enhancing regional integration. Senior government officials - including chief negotiators involved in WTO accession negotiations - participated in the event held at the WTO under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

23 October 2025

On 23 October, the WTO circulated the compliance panel report in the case brought by the European Union in Colombia — Anti-Dumping Duties on Frozen Fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands (DS591).

23 October 2025

Acceding members remain a source of hope for the future of the trading system at a time when the multilateral framework is under pressure, Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said at an event held on 22 and 23 October in Geneva commemorating the WTO membership anniversaries of Georgia and Kazakhstan. High-level government officials, including accession negotiators, discussed how governments in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) region play an important role in the multilateral trading system, emphasizing the benefits that trade brings to their economies.

23 October 2025