At the Finance for Development Conference in Seville, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged global leaders to exempt Africa and least-developed nations from reciprocal tariffs, warning that current trade policies are deepening financial instability. Okonjo-Iweala proposed revitalizing global trade by bolstering WTO-led cooperation on goods trade, promoting digital and green commerce, increasing regional economic integration across continents, and pushing critical reforms at the upcoming ministerial meeting in Cameroon. She also echoed calls to repurpose nearly $2 trillion in global subsidies, redirecting them toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Despite global uncertainty, Okonjo-Iweala maintained that collaborative, inclusive trade reform can still deliver on development goals and reset global finance on a sustainable path.
African Business
