World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned Tuesday that global free trade is in crisis, calling on Japan to play a leading role in defending and reforming the multilateral trade system.
Speaking during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Okonjo-Iweala expressed concern over mounting pressures on global trade, including the impact of rapidly shifting tariffs and protectionist policies driven by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Trade is facing very challenging times—it is extremely difficult,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala urged Japan, which she described as a “champion of open markets,” to step up efforts to support and revitalize the WTO.
“We must try to use this crisis as an opportunity to address the challenges we face and benefit from new trends in trade,” she said, according to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting comes amid a tentative easing of trade tensions between the United States and China, who on Monday announced a 90-day reduction in elevated tariffs to allow room for negotiations.
Okonjo-Iweala underscored the importance of collective action to preserve global trade frameworks and called on Tokyo to help lead efforts to strengthen and reform the WTO amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
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