Putin's Economic Development Minister Warns of Risks to Global Trade

Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov has called for renewed efforts to strengthen the international trading system as G20 trade ministers met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov has called for renewed attention to multilateral trade rules and the World Trade Organization. [Photo: President of Russia]

The G20 Trade Ministerial, hosted by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, was scheduled for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

The US agenda includes eliminating forced labor in global supply chains, updating the Most-Favored-Nation principle, addressing the use of food trade as a weapon, and tackling structural excess capacity and production.

Reshetnikov questioned whether those issues represented the most pressing challenges facing global trade.

In comments reported by Newsweek, he called for greater attention to restoring effective and fair trade governance, including the World Trade Organization's dispute-settlement system.

The Milwaukee meeting forms part of the US-hosted G20 trade track ahead of the leaders' summit scheduled for Dec. 14-15 at Trump National Doral in Miami, according to the US Trade Representative's office.