UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has warned that ‘nobody wins in a trade war,’ according to his spokesperson on Friday.
The statement comes after US president Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday introducing ‘reciprocal tariffs.’ The move includes a 10-per cent ‘minimum baseline tariff’ and potentially higher duties on selected trade partners, drawing widespread criticism.
Responding to questions about the secretary-general’s stance on the White House’s new tariff policy, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, ‘In a trade war, nobody wins.’
He expressed concern for the world’s most vulnerable nations, stating they are ‘the least equipped to deal with the current situation.’ Dujarric also noted that a global trade conflict would ‘negatively’ affect progress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In a separate statement released Friday, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) echoed these concerns. It warned that the U.S.-imposed tariffs would hurt vulnerable economies, emphasizing that ‘the global trade system is entering a critical phase—threatening growth, investment, and development progress, particularly for the most vulnerable economies,’ as major powers move forward with sweeping new trade measures.