The Vietnamese delegation in Geneva and relevant domestic units (the focal point is the Multilateral Trade Policy Department - Ministry of Industry and Trade ) have actively coordinated with the WTO Secretariat to provide and verify information. Accordingly, Vietnam is one of 46 members contributing to the development of this report.
The report shows that during the monitoring period, the total value of global merchandise imports affected by new tariffs and other import measures amounted to US$2,640 billion (equivalent to 11.1% of total global imports), an increase of more than four times compared to the same period last year (US$611 billion), marking the highest level in more than 15 years. On the export side, the total value of trade affected was about US$2,966 billion (more than three times higher than the US$888 billion in the previous report).
In addition to the growing protectionism, WTO members and observers have also stepped up new trade facilitation measures for goods. During the period, 331 measures were issued with an estimated trade value of 2,090 billion USD (about 1.5 times higher than the 1,441 billion USD in the previous report).
Addressing the meeting, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that the sharp increase in tariff measures reflects a growing trend of protectionism since the beginning of the year. Nearly 20% of world imports are now affected by tariffs and other similar measures imposed since 2009 - compared to 12.6% just a year ago. However, she also noted the efforts of members to promote dialogue rather than retaliation to facilitate trade, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining the smooth flow of cross-border trade. The WTO Director-General called on WTO Members to take advantage of the current situation to advance long-delayed WTO reforms, address some of the underlying concerns related to recent unilateral measures and reposition the WTO to better capture new trade opportunities.
In the trade remedies area, the review period recorded an average of 32.3 cases per month – lower than the 2024 peak of 37.3 cases per month. While these investigations do not necessarily lead to measures being applied, higher initiations generally signal the likelihood of increased measures being applied. The average number of trade remedy terminations was 11.4 cases per month – one of the lowest since 2012, suggesting that many trade remedies remain in place. Trade remedies – particularly anti-dumping measures – remain an important trade policy tool for many WTO members, accounting for 46.5% of all goods trade measures recorded in the report.
In services, WTO members introduced 124 new measures, mainly aimed at facilitating trade or improving the regulatory framework. More than half of these measures covered almost all sectors, with 50% relating to the supply of services through commercial presence (mode 3) and around 25% relating to the movement of professionals (mode 4). In addition, 20% of the new measures targeted the Internet and other network services.
Looking ahead, WTO economists forecast world merchandise trade growth of 2.4% in 2025. Trade growth is expected to be larger than expected in the first half of 2025 due to frontloading, increased demand for AI-related products, and continued trade growth among most WTO members, especially developing economies.
In addition, the WTO notes a number of general economic support measures related to key sectors such as the environment, energy and agriculture. The report notes the potential for a shift towards non-financial interventions and the pursuit of broader strategic policy objectives.
The report also said that WTO members continue to raise trade concerns in WTO committees and bodies, demonstrating that it remains an important forum for addressing trade-related issues.
According to the WTO, the "Overview of developments in the international trade environment" monitoring report series has been published annually since 2009 (under Section G of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism in Annex 3 of the WTO Agreement) and is issued under the responsibility of the Director-General to assist the TPRB in analyzing the impact of international trade developments on the multilateral trading system.
Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/wto-ban-hanh-bao-cao-giam-sat-thuong-mai-cho-thay-muc-tang-manh-ve-thue-quan-moi-ben-canh-cac-bien-phap-noi-long-thuong-.html
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