Brazil's Participation in the WTO General Council Meeting - “Respecting the Rules-based Multilateral Trading System” - Geneva, July 22–23, 2025

Mr. Chair, Madam DG, Dear colleagues,

Brazil has always been an engaged and steadfast supporter of the Multilateral Trading System

Eight decades have elapsed since the creation of the United Nations and the building of the GATT/WTO system, and this year the WTO celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, we are witnessing an unprecedented attack on the Multilateral Trading System and on the credibility of the WTO. 

Arbitrary tariffs, chaotically announced and implemented, are disrupting global value chains and risk throwing the world economy into a spiral of high prices and stagnation.

Such unilateral measures amount to a blatant violation of the core principles that underpin the WTO, and that are essential to the functioning of international trade. 

These measures raise fundamental questions regarding non-discrimination and most-favored nation treatment, and risk undermining the legal coherence and predictability of the multilateral trading system. 

They further upset the balance of market access conditions negotiated within the GATT and WTO frameworks for several decades.

Alongside the deliberate actions that resulted in the paralysis of the WTO dispute settlement system, they risk allowing global trade to be once again governed by power dynamics, creating imbalances to the particular detriment of developing countries.

Beyond the wholesale violations of international trade rules – and even more concerning –, we are now witnessing an extremely dangerous shift towards the use of tariffs as a tool in attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of third countries.

As a stable democracy, Brazil has firmly ingrained in our society principles such as the rule of law, the separation of powers, the respect of international norms, and the belief in the peaceful settlement of disputes. 

We will continue to prioritize negotiated solutions and to rely on good diplomatic and trade relations. Shall negotiations fail, we will resort to every legal means available to defend our economy and our people – and that includes the WTO dispute settlement system.

Mr. Chair, Madam DG,

At this moment of serious instability, it is imperative that we all work together in support of a rules-based Multilateral Trading System.

It is essential that the WTO recover its role as a place where all countries can settle disputes and affirm legitimate interests through dialogue and negotiation.

As President Lula stated in a recent article: 

“There is an urgent need to recommit to diplomacy and rebuild the foundations of true multilateralism – one capable of answering the outcry of a humanity fearful for its future. Only then can we stop passively watching the rise of inequality, the senselessness of war and the destruction of our own planet.”

A failure to find a path that leads us forward will only promote a negative spiral of measures and countermeasures that will make us poorer and farther away from prosperity and sustainable development goals.

Brazil is ready to start working towards a structural and comprehensive reform of the WTO. We must go beyond incremental updates, in order to enable it to address present challenges.

We should all engage in these efforts. The largest economies, which have benefited the most from the trading system, should lead by example and take firm action against the proliferation of unilateral trade measures. The developing economies, which are the most vulnerable to acts of trade coercion, should unite in defense of the rules-based multilateral trading system. 

Negotiations based on power play are a dangerous shortcut to instability and war. Before the threat of fragmentation, the consistent defense of multilateralism is the path to follow.

We still have time to save the Multilateral Trading System. Brazil remains ready to discuss and to cooperate on this objective.             

 THANK YOU