On 9 September 2026, the World Trade Organization (WTO) published its 2026 Annual Report providing a comprehensive account of the organisation’s activities in 2025 and the early part of 2026. The report looks back at recent key events, such as the 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026. It describes the WTO’s work in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing world trade.
In her opening message, the WTO Director-General says:
“The global trading system continues to face challenges on a scale unseen since it was established 80 years ago in the wake of the Second World War. Alongside rapid technological change and rising geopolitical tensions, the world seems to move from one crisis to the next. And yet global trade showed considerable resilience in 2025 ... World merchandise trade grew by 4.6%, in volume terms ... Services trade grew by 5.3%, also in volume terms. WTO rules continue to play an important role in underpinning this resilience: around 72% of global goods trade continues to flow on the core most-favoured-nation tariff terms members commit to at the WTO. In response to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, countries responded more with trade-facilitating rather than trade-restrictive measures ... This approach, which contrasts with initial responses to other recent crises, shows how an interconnected trading system can help bring about resilience when the world is tested by conflict. It demonstrates the importance of cooperation among governments, international organisations and the private sector to mitigate the impacts of crises. It also demonstrates the need for information-sharing in fora such as the WTO.”
The DG’s full message is accessible at:
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_docs/ar26_dg-message_e.pdf
A microsite of the key information contained in the report is accessible at:
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/publications_e/anrep-iframe_e.htm
The report is accessible at:
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news26_e/anrp_09sep26_482_e.htm