Why It Matters
The World Trade Organization (WTO) faces serious challenges, a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report finds, as the Trump administration has expressed skepticism over the WTO's value and some WTO members contend that U.S. tariff actions run counter to WTO rules and undermine the trading system the U.S. helped build.
The Trump administration has "expressed skepticism over the WTO's value, asserting a lack of reciprocity in WTO members' trade concessions," according to the report. Global tariffs imposed by President Trump since 2025 heightened trade frictions with WTO members; while some countries, including Canada and China, imposed retaliatory tariffs and sought WTO dispute settlement proceedings, most members opted to negotiate bilateral trade and investment concessions in exchange for reduced U.S. tariffs.
Under P.L. 103-465, which implemented the Uruguay Round Agreements, lawmakers may periodically consider a joint resolution to withdraw congressional approval of WTO agreements. In the 119th Congress, H.J.Res. 93 was introduced as a joint resolution to withdraw congressional approval of World Trade Organization agreements and end U.S. participation in the organization.
The Big Picture
The WTO's 166 members collectively account for 98 percent of global trade, with core functions spanning trade agreement administration, negotiating forums, and a dispute settlement (DS) process.
The first Trump administration and successive administrations blocked appointments to the WTO's Appellate Body (AB), arguing the body engaged in "judicial overreach," causing it to fall below its quorum and cease functioning in 2019. Some WTO members, including Canada, China, and the European Union, agreed to the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement to hear appeals in their disputes.
The WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference, held in March, produced no major outcomes and no final ministerial declaration. For the first time since 1998, members failed to extend the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, after Brazil and Turkey blocked a proposed extension through 2030.
On reform, the Trump administration circulated papers in the WTO in 2025 and 2026 setting out its stance on needed reforms. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized the U.S. priority of "exploring a pathway to incorporate plurilaterals into the WTO architecture," warning that without such a path, the WTO will no longer be "a viable forum for negotiating."
Despite recent tariff actions, 72 percent of global goods trade continues to be covered by most-favored nation tariff terms, even as USTR has contended that most-favored nation treatment is "unsuitable" for the current era.
The Bottom Line
The failure to produce a ministerial declaration at MC14, a still-dormant Appellate Body, and an unresolved e-commerce moratorium are among the challenges facing Congress as it weighs the value of U.S. membership and leadership in the WTO. The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing in early 2026 on advancing U.S. interests at the ministerial conference.
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