In November 1999, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was effectively brought to a standstill by protesters opposed to capitalism and globalisation. The ‘Battle in Seattle’ was a rallying call for the left and later memorialised as a movie.
The WTO had 109 country members at the time. It now has 166. Regardless, free trade has remained the bête noire of the left. Opposition to the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) triggered street marches in New Zealand by elements similar to those in Seattle.
They have since been joined by Donald Trump’s brand of Republicans. His first action on becoming president in 2017 was to sign the US out of the TPP. In 2019, he blocked appointments to the WTO appeals panel, obstructing the dispute settlement process.
According to a study by the WTO, most of the world’s US$33 trillion ($55tr) in trade still…
