WTO Director-General: The wave of trade agreements may impact the principle of 'Most-Favored-Nation Treatment'.

In an interview at the end of her visit to Tokyo this week, WTO Director-General Ngozi stated that despite the recent easing of the tariff war between the U.S. and China, global trade remains in crisis. Japanese officials have privately expressed concerns that the hastily reached U.S.-U.K. trade agreement this month may encourage countries to consider self-interested bilateral agreements, challenging the principle of 'Most-Favored-Nation Treatment' that supports the WTO system. When asked if this trading model might undermine this principle, Ngozi acknowledged the risk. She remarked, "This is why we tell WTO member countries engaged in bilateral negotiations to strive to align themselves as closely as possible with WTO regulations."