Trump targets China in call for WTO to reform ‘developing’ country status

The WTO is one of many multi-lateral organizations that Trump has criticized, but his wider beef is with China, with whom the United States has engaged in trade talks that have so far not resulted in an agreement.

“The WTO is BROKEN when the world’s RICHEST countries claim to be developing countries to avoid WTO rules and get special treatment. NO more!!!” Trump wrote in a tweet on Friday. (AP Photo)

US President Donald Trump put pressure on the World Trade Organization on Friday to change how it designates developing countries, singling out China for unfairly getting preferential treatment. Trump, in a memo, directed the United States Trade Representative to stop treating such countries as developing countries for the purpose of WTO membership if “substantial progress” toward reform had not been made within 90 days.