WTO head unopposed in bid for second term, but could face opposition from Trump
World
WTO head unopposed in bid for second term, but could face opposition from Trump
GENEVA (Reuters) - No other candidate has come forward to challenge World Trade Organization head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's bid for a second term at the Geneva-based trade body, two sources said, although Donald Trump's return to the White House may mean her reappointment is still not guaranteed.
The deadline for candidates to apply for the top job is midnight. A WTO spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister who made history by becoming the body's first female Director-General and has broad backing among WTO members, announced she was running in September aiming to complete "unfinished business".
However, one Geneva-based delegate told Reuters: "Her reappointment isn't a fait accompli, even if there's no challenger."
Trump's former trade representative Robert Lighthizer has called her "China's ally in Geneva" in an apparent swipe at her support for developing countries - a status Beijing currently enjoys at the WTO.
In 2020, Trump's administration sought to block her first term. She secured US backing only when President Joe Biden succeeded Trump in the White House.
Those who follow the trade body say it is likely to face a messy, recriminatory period for trade under Trump, who has promised to impose a 10% tariff on all imports and higher rates on countries such as China.
"Those who are likely to be part of the incoming administration either see declining value in WTO or are openly hostile to it," said Alan Yanovich, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. "If they do go ahead and increase tariffs on everyone that will generate a lot of friction and tension."
