Tariffs will take their toll, but the damage done by the White House to the World Trade Organization’s core principles could be irreparable
The grand edifice of the World Trade Organization’s headquarters on the banks of Lake Geneva stands as strong and sturdy as ever, but US President Donald Trump is set upon bulldozing its foundations.
Inside those headquarters, there is evidence of increasing irrelevance. It is populated by a community of around 600 diplomats, economists and various experts who are adrift and directionless. Meanwhile, countries are wrestling with the implications of Trump’s assault on the global trading system and his abandonment of multilateralism.
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