GENEVA : An international organisation that Donald Trump demeans, undermines and then embraces when it suits his interests: probably sounds familiar within NATO , or the UN.Now it's time to add the World Trade Organization to the list.The early signs of the US president's intentions towards the Geneva-based trade body all pointed towards hostility.As a candidate he called it a "disaster" and threatened a US withdrawal. "The fact that they have brought this to a WTO dispute means it is not 'Trump versus the WTO,' it is Trump fully using the WTO, which is a completely different picture from the national security (steel and aluminium case)," said Peter Ungphakorn, who worked at the trade body for two decades.Ungphakorn, now a writer on trade, told AFP it may be impossible to identify a "coherent" Trump trade policy, but that outlines of the American WTO strategy may be emerging. "And if the WTO weakens and withers then so be it. "The situation is dangerous," he said. "We should be clear about that."

Source: Economic Times March 29, 2018 04:30 UTC