WTO: Appellate Body paralysis, DSR de-linking & battle over DS reform (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
For the 99th time, the United States on 24 July blocked a joint proposal from 130 countries to expeditiously fill the vacancies on the dysfunctional Appellate Body at the World Trade Organization.

UN: Global trade rises sharply amid mounting price pressures (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global goods trade totaled about US$13.7 trillion during the first half of 2026, representing a 12.5 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025, supported in part by higher prices, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

UN: Elevated transit costs through Hormuz Strait burden fragile economies (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Prior to the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran, freight traffic had been increasing in the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations were underway for a new agreement to fully restore trade through this channel.