The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) has joined government in calling for stronger protection of special trade rights for developing countries at the 14th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC14), currently underway in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Speaking at the opening session, Malawi’s Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, Hon. Simon Itaye, stressed that Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) provisions must be preserved to ensure countries like Malawi are not left behind in global trade. He underscored that SDT is not a concession, but a necessary right that recognizes Malawi’s structural constraints, limited productive capacities, and vulnerability to external shocks.
MCCCI Chief Executive Officer, Daisy Kambalame, who is attending the conference alongside other private sector leaders, supported this position.
She cautioned that without operational SDT, Malawi risks becoming a dumping ground for foreign products, undermining local industry and economic diversification.
“It is important that as reforms are considered, the WTO remains true to its founding principles and does not compare apples with grapes,” she said, highlighting the need for fair treatment of economies at different stages of development.
The call comes at a time when developing countries continue to struggle to benefit fully from global trade. According to UNCTAD, least developed countries accounted for just 1.1 percent of world exports in 2024, barely above one percent in 2010 and still far below the two percent target set for 2030, despite preferential access schemes.
For MCCCI, the stakes are high. Preserving SDT is critical to enabling Malawi’s private sector to integrate into global trade at a pace consistent with its realities, while supporting industrialisation, value addition, and job creation. The Chamber’s participation at MC14 ensures that the voice of Malawi’s business community is heard in shaping the future of the multilateral trading system.
The WTO Ministerial Conference runs until 29th March 2026, chaired by Cameroon’s Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. Ministers and business leaders from across the world are deliberating on reforms to strengthen predictability in trade rules and to address discriminatory measures that have increasingly disrupted global commerce.
