The United States has presented its interventions at the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting held on May 20-21, 2025. The discussions covered various agenda items and reflected ongoing concerns regarding transparency, financial contributions, and the need for reform within the organization.
During the session on the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration's report from March 4, 2025, the U.S. supported a consensus on Yemen's payment plan but highlighted that it is reviewing its contributions to international organizations. "The United States is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of all contributions to international organizations," stated U.S. representatives.
Concerns were raised about administrative measures related to member arrears and transparency in Secretariat-led activities. The U.S. emphasized that "transparency is fundamental to a rules-based system," criticizing current practices as lacking sufficient clarity.
Regarding the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement into Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement, while not intending to join IFDA, the U.S. did not object to its inclusion in the WTO framework as an Annex 4 plurilateral agreement.
In discussing follow-ups from past ministerial conferences such as MC13 in Abu Dhabi and others, the U.S. reiterated support for not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions: "The moratorium...has supported the rapid growth of digital trade over the past two decades."
A statement by Singapore and Switzerland marked the occasion of WTO's 30th anniversary with calls for reform in light of challenges faced by multilateral trading systems. The U.S. expressed appreciation but stressed that meaningful reform requires participation from all members: "Meaningful reform will require participation by other Members...that have benefited from [WTO's] failure."
Throughout these discussions, emphasis was placed on fairness and reciprocity within global trade systems—a focus aligned with original WTO objectives.