G7 PERFORMANCE ON TRADE, 1975–2024
100
100
75
75
50
50
25
25
0
0
Compliance (%)
Conclusions (% words) Conclusions (% words)
Commitments (%)
Compliance (%)
Commitments (%)
// SARAH RICHARDSON Sarah Richardson is a research associate with the G7 and G20 Research Groups, with expertise related to trade, environment and
uphold competition rules 100% and 2023’s to enhance resilient supply chains 94%. By December 2024, compliance with the 2024 commitment on resilient supply chains was 94%. RECOMMENDATIONS To increase compliance with their trade commitments at Kananaskis, G7 leaders should make more trade commitments. The 10 highest-complying summits between 1975 and 2023 produced 148 trade commitments and averaged 94% compliance. In contrast, the 10 lowest-complying summits produced only 52 commitments and 43% compliance. Second, those commitments should refer to the WTO and its associated ministerial meetings and conferences, negotiations and agendas. Such commitments averaged 85% compliance, compared to 70% for those that did not make such references. Third, G7 leaders should hold a trade ministers’ meeting this year. Since 2020, with compliance on trade consistently high, there have been two such meetings each year from 2021 to 2024. Fourth, they should make commitments
that allow for flexibility in implementation. Finally, they should consider how to improve the traditionally low compliance on commitments that are geographically targeted (for example on the least developed countries or Africa), on new ‘trade’ issues (environmental goods and services), sensitive sectors (such as agriculture) and domestic measures (such as subsidies). CONCLUSION Given current geopolitical activity, instability and uncertainty, trade will be among the most critical discussions at Kananaskis. The Trump administration’s campaign to secure trade-related and non-trade related concessions has heightened trade tensions and will have significant negative impacts on G7 economies and international trade flows. Building on the 2024 Apulia Summit, continued and greater emphasis could be placed on securing global supply chains, accompanied by renewed commitments to strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at the core.
sustainable development. She has worked closely with the Government of Canada, United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission, as well as non-governmental organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature, Oxfam and Save the Children. She was manager of the Environment, Economy and Trade Programme at North America's Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the foreign policy adviser at the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.
X-TWITTER @g7_rg www.g7.utoronto.ca
45 globalgovernanceproject.org
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