WTO holds crunch meeting amid growing uncertainty over multilateral system

The World Trade Organization is holding a critical meeting as its traditional dispute-resolution framework faces collapse under pressure from escalating tariff conflicts between major trading nations. Recent trade wars have exposed fundamental weaknesses in the multilateral system, leaving WTO members uncertain whether they can negotiate binding reforms before the institution loses credibility. If nations fail to agree on structural changes, some officials warn that major trading powers may abandon the WTO framework entirely and establish parallel bilateral or regional trade agreements outside its authority. The core issue centers on whether the organization can adapt its rule-based system to accommodate modern trade disputes, particularly those involving tariffs and industrial policy. The outcome will determine whether the 75-year-old institution survives as the arbiter of global commerce or fragments into competing trade blocs.