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US trade expert backs Australia on WTO reform

Jacob Greber and Hans van Leeuwen

Updated May 18, 2020 – 7.47am, first published at 12.00am

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Washington/London | One of America's staunchest pro-trade warriors, who masterminded the 2005 US-Australia trade deal with John Howard, has endorsed Canberra's decision to back a breakaway WTO dispute system that bypasses the United States but warned against turning it into an anti-Washington rebuke.

Robert Zoellick, a former World Bank president, also cautioned that the World Trade Organisation's problems are far larger than last week's sudden resignation by director-general Roberto Azevedo, regardless of who wins the 2020 US election.

Jacob Greber was The Australian Financial Review’s senior political correspondent.

Hans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London.