Femi Ashekun/
WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the global community to remain calm in the face of renewed tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Okonjo-Iweala emphasised the need for collective restraint, stating, “Let’s chill.”
She warned that retaliatory tariffs and escalating trade wars could have severe consequences for global economic development, drawing parallels to the 1930s, when similar policies led to significant global GDP losses.
Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of leveraging WTO mechanisms to resolve trade disputes, highlighting the potential for diplomatic solutions to prevent further harm to global trade.
“History has shown us the dangers of turning inward,” she noted, urging nations to focus on cooperation rather than confrontation.
Her remarks come at a critical time for global trade, with fears that protectionist policies could reverse years of progress in economic integration and growth.
0