South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has once again urged for reforms to the World Trade Organization (WTO), warning of rising risks to the global economy as tariff disputes intensify.
Speaking on Thursday at the event marking the 30th anniversary of the WTO, Ramaphosa stressed the urgent need to fix shortcomings within the global trading system.
His remarks come as world leaders grapple with a new wave of tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump, who recently announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports into the United States. Although Trump paused plans for even higher tariffs on certain nations, trade tensions between the US and China continue to escalate.
Ramaphosa cautioned that the multilateral trading framework is under threat, pointing to the rise of unilateral and protectionist measures by major economies.
“We are witnessing advanced economies implement measures outside the agreed multilateral framework,” Ramaphosa said. “It is vital that we strengthen the multilateral trading system, or risk falling into a global trade order dominated by power politics.”
The South African president’s call for WTO reform highlights growing concerns that without collective action, the global economy could face even greater instability.