WTO monitoring shows members acting to facilitate trade despite protectionist pressures

WTO members continue to introduce more trade-facilitating measures than trade-restricting measures on goods, an important signal of members’ commitment to keep trade flowing despite the current geopolitical uncertainty, according to the latest Trade Monitoring Update issued on 8 July. The Update, covering the period between mid-October 2023 and mid-May 2024, also notes a rapid increase in industrial policy subsidies, particularly in areas related to climate change and national security.