The Fifth review of the trade policies and practices of Sri Lanka takes place on 15 and 17 October 2025. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Sri Lanka.

15 October 2025

The new WTO Monthly Merchandise Trade Statistics interactive tool provides access to bilateral trade data for over 120 economies and more than 200 of their trading partners across 72 product categories. The tool, contained in the WTO's Tariff and Trade Data portal, is updated weekly and draws on statistics from Trade Data Monitor (TDM), which sources trade data from government offices and agencies across the world.

14 October 2025

Members participating in the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) on 10 October reviewed progress on key issues. They also spotlighted a "matchmaking" event to connect donor funding with the trade-related needs of developing members to address plastics pollution, and a regional Asia and the Pacific workshop, both held the previous day. Participants also discussed draft outcome documents proposed by co-coordinators in preparation for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled to take place in Cameroon in March 2026.

10 October 2025

At a meeting of the Committee on Import Licensing on 10 October, the Chair reported on his efforts to work with members on improving transparency in licensing notification procedures. The Committee also reviewed 11 specific trade concerns raised by members, a very high number for a Committee meeting.

10 October 2025

Following exchanges on the 2025-2026 Work Plan for advancing gender equality in trade, members of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender (IWG) met on 8 October to review a proposed implementation roadmap. The document will guide the group's work in the coming months, including initiatives linked to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference. IWG members also welcomed Ambassador James Baxter of Australia as the Group’s new co-chair.

8 October 2025

Women-led businesses in Jordan can now apply for grants and technical support through the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund. The initiative, jointly funded and managed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat and the International Trade Centre (ITC), aims to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their digital capabilities and expand into global markets.

8 October 2025

Global merchandise trade outpaced expectations in the first half of 2025, driven by increased spending on AI-related products, a surge in North American imports ahead of tariff hikes, and strong trade among the rest of the world. In response, WTO economists raised the 2025 merchandise trade growth forecast to 2.4% (up from 0.9% in August). However, the 2026 projection has been lowered to 0.5% (from 1.8%). Global services exports growth is expected to slow from 6.8% in 2024 to 4.6% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026.

7 October 2025

At a meeting of the WTO’s General Council on 6-7 October, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala once again underlined the need for fundamental reform of the organization but also highlighted that the WTO “provides important tools that are worth preserving.” The facilitator for the ongoing reform talks delivered his latest update report on the exchanges. WTO members also addressed current developments in global trade, ongoing work and initiatives, and other issues during their two-day meeting, while Saudi Arabia indicated its readiness to host the organization’s 15th Ministerial Conference.

7 October 2025

The Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) on 3 October reviewed recent initiatives in international fora aimed at empowering small businesses through trade and highlighted preparations for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). Several small businesses were showcased and participants shared experiences on helping companies transition from the informal economy.

3 October 2025

The WTO Council for Trade in Services met on 2 and 3 October to discuss how to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications to promote services trade and development. Members also considered the way forward for a proposal in support of least-developed countries and discussed various services trade concerns.

3 October 2025