Countries look to persuade US, China to buy into WTO reforms

OTTAWA – Canada’s trade minister says a small group from the World Trade Organization hope to persuade the U.S. and China to save the body.

Neither China nor the U.S. took part in a meeting in Ottawa on the future of the WTO.

Canadian Trade Minister Jim Carr said Thursday the WTO needs renewal and it will be impossible without support from China and the U.S.

Thirteen of the WTO’s 164 members talked in Ottawa about safeguarding and strengthening the dispute settlement system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the monitoring function and modernizing trade rules.

The U.S. has openly blocked appointments of new judges to theWTO’s dispute settlement mechanism, which threatens to paralyze the organization and prevent it from making decisions.