The U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization published a blunt response to reform discussions, arguing that the underpinning of the WTO -- that all countries should receive the same tariff rate, unless there is a comprehensive free-trade agreement between them -- was naive, "and that era has passed."

Norway's Petter Olberg, the facilitator on World Trade Organization reform, said he plans to circulate a report that "captures the key issues and perspectives expressed by all members" during "Reform Week," which was held from Dec. 2-5, ahead of the next WTO General Council meeting, which will take place Dec. 16-17, the WTO said. Discussions at Reform Week centered on "i) decision making, ii) development and special and differential treatment, and iii) a level playing field," the WTO said.

The World Trade Organization's Committee on Fisheries Subsidies held its first meeting Dec. 9 and confirmed that Costa Rica's Ana Lizano will be its first chair, the WTO announced. The committee is charged with examining information submitted by WTO members on their "fisheries subsidies-related notifications" and overseeing the operation of the recently ratified Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the WTO said.

The World Trade Organization's Committee on Government Procurement adopted a decision to boost the "transparency and accessibility of its work" during its final meeting of the year last month, the WTO said. The committee agreed to "broaden the scope of materials that will in future be made available to members not participating in the Committee as GPA parties or observers as well as to the general public." The documents will either be "immediately unrestricted or automatically derestricted after a defined period." The new documents eligible for this treatment include meeting agendas and written summaries of informal sessions.

Members of the WTO's Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology during their Nov. 21 meeting discussed potential areas of focus on technology transfer across various WTO bodies in the run-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference, the WTO said. MC14 is currently scheduled for March 2026.

World Trade Organization members adopted a compliance panel report in a dispute on Colombia's antidumping duties on frozen fries from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands during the Nov. 24 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body.

The World Trade Organization’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade met Nov. 11 to 14 to approve revised transparency guidelines for how members notify of regulatory updates and to discuss a number of trade concerns and practices, it said in a press release.

Participants at a meeting of the Agricultural Market Information System's Global Food Market Information Group discussed the current and future outlook for global agricultural commodity markets, the World Trade Organization announced.

The World Trade Organization's Committee on Customs Valuation reviewed the first customs valuation legislation notifications of Guyana and Indonesia, plus notifications from 35 other organization members, at a formal meeting Nov. 10.

The arbitrator in a World Trade Organization dispute between the U.S. and the EU on U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties covering Spanish ripe wolves issued a decision on Oct. 29.