WTO chief Okonjo-Iweala reinstated for second term as trade wars loom

GENEVA: World Trade Organisation chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed for a second term at a special meeting on Friday, the trade watchdog said in a statement, meaning her second term will coincide with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's.

Trade sources expect the road ahead for the 30-year-old organisation to be challenging and most likely characterised by trade wars, with Trump threatening hefty tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China.

Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister who made history in 2021 by becoming the body's first female and first African director-general, has broad backing among WTO members.

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She announced in September that she would run again, aiming to complete “unfinished business”.

No other candidates ran against her.

Trade sources said the meeting created a means of fast-tracking her appointment process to avoid any risk of it being blocked by Trump, whose teams and allies have criticised both Okonjo-Iweala and the WTO in the past.

In 2020, his administration gave its support to a rival candidate and sought to block her first term. She secured U.S. backing only when President Joe Biden succeeded Trump in the White House.