**Introduction** Rebuilding trust in global trade on restoring predictability, credibility, and fairness in how trade rules are applied. Trust has weakened as unilateral tariffs, industrial subsidies, local content requirements, and security-justified measures have expanded alongside weaker multilateral enforcement. The most effective strategies therefore focus on strengthening rule enforceability, reducing policy uncertainty, improving transparency around state intervention, and enabling credible cooperation where full consensus is difficult. **Key strategies for rebuilding trust in global trade** **1.** **Restore enforceability through functioning dispute settlement and credible interim pathways** Confidence in the trading system relies on the expectation that disputes are resolved through recognized legal processes rather than retaliation. The continued absence of a fully functioning World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body has weakened compliance incentives and reduced confidence in the durability of commitments. Dispute settlement remains central to predictability, particularly for members with limited retaliatory capacity[1]. Practical trust-building therefore requires progress toward restoring binding dispute settlement, complemented by interim appeal arrangements that preserve due process and legal certainty while reform negotiations continue[1][2]. **2.** **Reduce policy uncertainty through stronger transparency and monitoring** Frequent and opaque trade policy changes undermine trust by making market-access conditions unpredictable. The persistence of trade-restrictive measures highlights how uncertainty itself has become a systemic cost for firms and governments[3]. More effective notification, peer review, and monitoring — especially for measures with broad trade coverage — help reduce misperception and lower the risk that policy shifts are interpreted as discriminatory or opportunistic[3][4]. Predictability has become increasingly important for sustaining confidence in global trade, particularly in an environment of persistent policy volatility[5]. **3.** **Improve transparency and discipline around subsidies and industrial policy** Trust erodes when governments suspect trading partners are using subsidies to secure durable competitive advantage without clear visibility or accountability. Industrial subsidies have become increasingly complex and difficult to assess, complicating evaluation of competitive effects and reinforcing the need for stronger transparency and shared analytical baselines[6][7]. Escalating subsidy competition further heightens distrust by increasing the risk of retaliatory trade measures and fragmented markets[8]. Trust-enhancing strategies therefore include improved subsidy notification, clearer classification of support instruments, and structured peer review to reduce informational asymmetries that drive escalation[6][8]. **4.** **Discipline local content protectionism that fragments markets** Local content requirements undermine confidence in the trading system by favoring domestic inputs and fragmenting cross-border supply chains. Their continued spread raises compliance costs, reduces efficiency, and weakens confidence that competitive conditions are governed by shared rules[9][10]. Reducing reliance on such measures supports a more predictable and credible trading environment[9]. **5.** **Use open, WTO-anchored plurilateral cooperation where consensus is blocked** Where full consensus is unattainable, trust can still be rebuilt through cooperative outcomes that remain anchored within WTO frameworks and are open to broader participation over time. Variable-geometry approaches allow progress on emerging issues while preserving transparency and institutional coherence[10]. Open accession, clear procedures, and consistency with existing rules help ensure that such arrangements remain compatible with the broader trading system despite geopolitical constraints[10][11]. **Conclusion** Trust in global trade is rebuilt through credible enforcement, predictable policy, and transparent governance. Restoring dispute settlement functionality, strengthening monitoring and transparency around subsidies and local content measures, and enabling open, WTO-anchored plurilateral cooperation together address the principal sources of mistrust. In a more interventionist and fragmented global economy, these strategies are central to restoring confidence that trade rules remain meaningful, fair, and enforceable.
