By the numbers: Here's how "badly" the WTO treats the U.S.
South Korean farmers protest the WTO in Hong Kong in 2005. Photo: MN Chan/Getty
President Trump said Monday that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has treated the U.S. "very badly" and if nothing changes "we will be doing something."
Why it matters: The WTO regulates 98% of global trade, and is largely seen as beneficial to the United States. Exiting the organization would likely raise prices on imported goods and make it more difficult for exporters.
By the numbers:
The United States wins 87%of the cases it brings to the WTO against other countries.
The U.S. files more cases with the WTO than any other nation, ahead of the EU and Canada.
In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump said the WTO was a "disaster" and proposed a 35% tariff on Mexican imports and 45% on Chinese imports. Countries subject to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs are filing challenges with the WTO, saying they violate terms of the agreement.
Don't forget: Membership in the WTO grants the U.S. preferential access to markets of other members, even if relations are geopolitically rocky. If the U.S. were to leave, they would have to negotiate lots of other free trade agreements; current free trade agreements only cover 40% of trade.
