As the organisation’s anniversary nears, borders around the world are closing again
When trade ministers gathered in the Moroccan city of Marrakech 30 years ago this month to sign the agreement creating the World Trade Organization (WTO), the mood was celebratory. The Berlin Wall had come down only recently, communism had collapsed, and there was optimistic talk of how the body would prise open new markets and act as the arbiter when disputes broke out between countries.
The atmosphere today is much darker than it was in April 1994. Any enthusiasm for groundbreaking trade liberalisation deals disappeared decades ago and has been replaced by covert – and often overt – protectionism.
About Author
More Stories
High-rise, high expectations: is Casablanca’s finance hub a model for African development?
Former bosses at video games firm Ubisoft on trial in France accused of sexual harassment
Millions of Australian workers to get an above-inflation pay rise as minimum wage lifts by 3.5%