Leveraging AI to Enhance Trade Negotiations at the WTO: A Commonwealth Developing Country Perspective

The World Trade Organization (WTO) promotes collaboration among its 166 member countries, ensuring that trade rules are applied fairly and consistently. Additionally, the WTO’s legal framework provides stability and predictability for international trade, facilitating smooth and reliable trade flows.

While the technical assistance and training provided by the WTO to developing countries helps them to build their trade capacity artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing (for example, translation services), data analytics and autonomous decision-making (for example, assistance in making informed decisions), have potential to significantly impact and transform trade negotiations. These advanced technologies can make trade negotiations more efficient, informed and inclusive.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics examines how Commonwealth developing countries can leverage AI to enhance the efficiency, accuracy and outcomes of trade negotiations at the WTO, as well as the challenges they might encounter when interfacing with these and other advanced technologies in the context of trade negotiations.