BUSAN, South Korea — President Marcos urged member economies of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to restore the founding principles of free and open trade, warning that current global trends are moving in the opposite direction.

Marcos said this after the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting dropped any mention of the WTO in the Gyeongju Declaration, the outcome document of the summit.

In an interview here on Saturday evening, Nov. 1, the President said many countries have strayed from the WTO’s original purpose of expanding access to global markets.

“The fear that everyone is feeling now is that the principles and the strictures that guided the creation of the WTO are no longer in place, or at least no longer effective,” he said.

Marcos said the recent APEC discussions revealed a shared concern that trade barriers and protectionist policies are undermining multilateralism and competition.

“We have to return to the free market principles that the WTO was created for,” he said.

He added that nations must reaffirm their commitment to fair trade and mutual benefit.

“Hindi na nasusundan yung (Countries are no longer following the) idea that the WTO will open markets between countries,” Marcos said.

While reaffirming the importance of robust trade and investment, the Gyeongju Declaration notably omitted the reference to a “rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core” — a phrase that had appeared in every APEC declaration since 2021.

The APEC leaders' declaration can only be adopted by consensus, with support from every single member economy.

The change reflects growing divergence among major economies amid the renewed US-China trade rivalry.

President Marcos noted that recent shifts in global trade have altered the traditional dynamics between major economies.

“Now China is the one who says, ‘Let’s open more markets,’” he said, observing that the world order is “really turning” as old trade alignments evolve.

Marcos said he supports renewed cooperation under the WTO framework, especially as the Philippines continues to pursue more resilient and diversified trade relations.

“The comment that we have is that the world is really changing,” he said.

“Things are shifting, and we have to adjust while keeping to the principle of open markets,” he added.

Established in 1995, the WTO aims to promote free trade and reduce barriers among member countries.