By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has renewed calls for urgent reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), warning that the international trade system is at risk of devolving into one dictated by political power rather than multilateral principles.
“It is incumbent on us all to ensure that the multilateral trading system is strengthened, or we risk the encroachment of a global trade regime based on power dynamics,” Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
In a message to mark the 30th anniversary of the WTO, Ramaphosa criticised protectionist policies by developed nations, warning that unilateral trade actions threatened the stability of the global economy.
“We are witnessing unilateral actions and protectionist policies from some developed economies that undermine our collective, multilateral agreements. It is essential that we work urgently to strengthen and reform the WTO. If we fail to act, the global trade system risks devolving into one dictated by power rather than principle,” he said.
His remarks come as global markets reel from sweeping new import tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump.
His comments were made in response to the Trump administration’s recent imposition of a 10% baseline tariff on US imports, a policy that has already disrupted trade flows and drawn concern from global economic stakeholders.
While Washington has paused additional tariffs on some countries, its ongoing trade war with China continues to cast a long shadow over the future of global trade.
Ramaphosa emphasised that the current challenges highlighted the fragility of the multilateral trade framework and the urgency of ensuring the WTO remained inclusive and rules-based.
“We are seeing a return to aggressive economic nationalism, and we must resist this trend if we are to protect the global south and smaller economies from being sidelined,” he warned.
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