In the face of US President Donald Trump’s offensive to weaken multilateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Brazilian government should place some of its bets on reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO). This will be one of Itamaraty’s priorities for February, when a meeting will be held at the organization that the Workers’ Party administration considers crucial to determining whether the institution has a chance of survival or is doomed to ruin.
The discussion on the future of the WTO is scheduled to take place in Cameroon, in Central Africa. The idea is for countries to deliberate on ways to revitalize the body, which has lost relevance and has suffered continuous erosion in recent years. The debate gained momentum mainly after Trump imposed massive tariffs on several international markets, without the sanctions being discussed beforehand within the trade organization.
Brazil should take advantage of the occasion to send a team of experienced negotiators to Africa, with the aim of presenting a kind of “roadmap” for improving the organization. The group will be led by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and the Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Philip Fox-Drummond.
The plan should consist mainly of proposals to rebuild commissions and discussion forums among the countries. The objective is to restore a level playing field so that less relevant countries in the international market can resolve their disputes even when facing developed economies.
According to members of the federal government, this meeting is crucial for the future of the WTO because, if the countries do not reach a consensus again, it will be difficult to confront the new order imposed by the White House. One of Brazil’s main allies in this debate will be the European Union, which is also working behind the scenes to revitalize the multilateral organization.
This “partnership” with the Europeans comes after years of neglect by the EU. This is because, before the Trump phenomenon, the countries of the region always turned a blind eye to American economic and military abuses, argue members of the government’s leadership. This inflection point coincides precisely with a moment when European leaders are under threat of new American tariffs because of the dispute over Greenland.
Valor had access to a document that presents some of the main proposals to be presented by the Europeans in Cameroon. Several of these motions even have the support of the Brazilian government.
“Donald Trump’s policy seeks to undermine this historic achievement”
— Alessandra Mourão
“The WTO is at a critical and, in fact, existential moment.” Without strong political commitment from its members in a process of profound and comprehensive reform, the organization will slide into irrelevance,” argues the European Union, which will suggest a reform based on three pillars: predictability, fairness, and flexibility.
One of the findings is that, having been founded in 1995, the organization was not designed to face a series of challenges that have become central to modern international trade, “such as the rise of digital commerce and data-driven business models.” Furthermore, another problem that the WTO would not be prepared to face would be the increasing measures related to climate change, “with significant trade implications.”
In the area of predictability, both Brazil and the EU countries should argue that the body needs to impose rules based on established procedures, as a response to “unilateral actions with the risk of escalation and a downward spiral” – a clear reference to the actions of the United States in Trump’s second term.
In the view of experts, this lack of predictability is one of the aspects that helps explain the disintegration of the international order. “Institutional predictability is one of the main…” “It supports international trade assets. It underpins investments, organizes global value chains, and reduces transaction costs. When common rules cease to be arbitrated by legitimate bodies, the system tends toward fragmentation,” says Vanessa Sapiência, a lawyer specializing in regulatory affairs and strategic contracts at Pellegrina e Monteiro Advogados.
In this sense, Alessandra Mourão, a member of the Foreign Trade Commission of the OAB-SP (São Paulo Bar Association) and professor at FGV (Getúlio Vargas Foundation), adds that the various WTO arbitration panels are “fundamental for conflicts to be resolved using the best legal technique.” “This is very important for democracy and for the legal profession.” “Donald Trump’s policy seeks to undermine this important historical achievement in trade between countries, and it is important that Brazil be active in strengthening the WTO,” says the partner lawyer at Nascimento e Mourão.
Valor Econômico, January 26, 2026, 5:01 AM
https://valor.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2026/01/26/brasil-aposta-em-reforma-da-omc-contra-ofensiva-
