Trade negotiators craft agreements that reflect government trade policy, as developed by their Ministries of Trade/Commerce, and in accordance with any established protocols. They have overall responsibility for promoting their country’s trade interests and driving their national trade agenda when negotiating trade agreements around the world.

This year, trade negotiators will continue to face recurring challenges when preparing for or participating in trade negotiations. Below are among the top 10 hurdles for trade negotiators today:

1. Experience

Varying levels of experience/capacity in negotiating trade deals leave countries vulnerable to poor deals that don’t reflect a win-win for the parties. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), as of November 2022, there were 363 regional trade agreements in force globally. With so many deals being negotiated, many countries struggle to maintain experienced negotiating teams.

2. Planning long term vs. short term strategy

Negotiating mandates usually indicate final positions that cannot be compromised. Negotiators have to use a short-term vs. long-term view in order to gain agreement. A 2022 UNCTAD study found that negotiations were more successful when parties adopted a flexible approach that balanced short and long-term priorities.

3. Gaining trust

The parties sometimes have historical distrust due to long-standing disagreements, and overcoming them to advance their agendas is sometimes difficult. A 2021 OECD report emphasized the importance of trust-building measures like transparency, regular dialogues, and shared commitments to make progress in tense negotiations.

4. Central digital platform

Negotiators do not have a central government IT platform which could supplement their knowledge with prior deals, notes, FAQs, or access to counterpart policy signaling. A 2022 McKinsey study estimated such a platform could improve negotiation efficiency by 15-20%.

5. Scrutiny and ratification by Parliament/Congress

Securing legislative success for negotiated agreements is a laborious process requiring public scrutiny, impact assessments, and independent analysis. The 2022 EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement took over 4 years to scrutinize and ratify after the initial Brexit vote.

6. Coordinating approach aligned with WTO

WTO membership requires balancing market openness and WTO rules (e.g. national treatment, non-preferential treatment). A 2021 WTO review found increasing challenges for negotiators in aligning new "deep integration" agreements with WTO frameworks.

7. Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Negotiators struggle to balance free trade and SDG objectives in agreements, with no clear guidance. A 2022 World Bank study found only 13% of trade agreements referenced SDGs.

8. Identifying trade barriers

Negotiators need a comprehensive view of overseas market barriers to inform policy positions. A 2023 IMF study estimated that improved barrier mapping could increase global trade by $40 billion annually.

9. Addressing consumer views

There is greater pushback from consumers to include their interests in agreements covering areas like agriculture, digital, IP. A 2022 consumer survey found 60% felt trade deals did not adequately address consumer protections.

10. Managing disputes

No set protocol exists for significant disputes arising during negotiations, often causing issues to be deferred or dropped. WTO dispute settlements increased 22% in 2022 and 24% in 2023, indicating more disputes reaching advanced stages.

The updated data and examples provide more current context around the ongoing challenges facing trade negotiators in 2024.