WTO issues 2026 Annual Report

In her opening message, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 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 per cent, in volume terms ... Services trade grew by 5.3 per cent, also in volume terms. … WTO rules continue to play an important role in underpinning this resilience: around 72 per cent 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 stands in contrast to initial responses to other recent crises, shows how an interconnected trading system can help to bring about resilience when the world is tested by conflict. It demonstrates the importance of cooperation among governments, international organizations 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 available here.

The Report provides detailed accounts of the WTO's various areas of activity over the past year. It also includes information on the organization's structure, staff and budget. 

A microsite provides a snapshot of the key information contained in the Report.

The French and Spanish editions will be published in November.