Since 1995, the World Trade Organization in Geneva has been the foundation for trade and economic relations of its current 166 member countries, which account for around 98 percent of world trade. However, its effectiveness is weakening: alongside the WTO system, a trade political reality of uncertainty is emerging where protectionism is gaining acceptance, and the law of the strong threatens to replace the strength of the law. In April 2025, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala quantified the share of world trade conducted according to WTO rules at 72 percent.

For German companies, this is more than an abstract problem. The WTO represents urgently needed planning and legal certainty. It limits tariff levels, regulates market access, protects intellectual property, and provides a dispute resolution mechanism.

DIHK proposals in five action areas

Against this backdrop, DIHK formulates proposals in five key action areas on how the EU and its partners can adapt the WTO to geoeconomic and technological realities.

1. Preserve and reform WTO

Strengthen multilateral rules, reform WTO dispute resolution, advance plurilateral agreements.

2. Build a coalition for free trade and fair rules 

Gain allies for rule-based trade and refine subsidy rules.

3. Prevent digital tariffs 

Secure E-commerce moratorium permanently and establish digital trade rules.

4. Promote sustainability globally instead of unilaterally 

Agree on global climate and sustainability rules instead of creating new trade conflicts through national solo efforts.

5. Consider SMEs 

Reduce bureaucratic hurdles in global trade, make trade-related rules SME-friendly, and strengthen the 2013 Trade Facilitation Agreement.

Downloads

DIHK describes these approaches in detail in its January 2026 Impulse paper:
"Impulses for a New World Trade Order" (PDF, 877 KB)

New negotiations in March 2026