World Trade Organization

Lord Spellar Excerpts

Monday 9th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, the United States’ actions have exposed serious structural weaknesses, particularly in dispute settlement, but abandoning the WTO would leave British businesses more vulnerable to arbitrary tariffs and economic pressure. For example, UK trade with non-FTA partners based on most favoured nation terms was something like £605 billion in 2025. So the WTO’s rules still underpin most global trade, and 72% of global trade operated under MFN terms at the end of February. We must engage with the United States in pressing it for reform and work with partners on practical agreements and interim arbitration.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, is not the fundamental point that China was allowed into the WTO and then was allowed to relentlessly break its rules, trading unfairly with huge damage to our industrial manufacturing right the way across the West, with great social and political consequences? What assurances can the Minister give me that, in maintaining and improving the WTO, we will toughen up our approach so that we can properly trade with China on a level playing field to the mutual benefit of international trade?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, I totally agree with my noble friend. British businesses must be able to compete fairly, and our trade strategy calls for stronger action on subsidies that distort markets and create excess capacity. As major economies, we share the same responsibility as China to support the global trading system. Our bilateral discussions on WTO reform are focused on making the WTO more relevant, flexible and accessible. At senior official level between the UK and China, the WTO working group took place earlier this year in Beijing, covering a level playing field, development and reform issues. Together we have a common agenda to make sure that the WTO functions and works for everybody.