WTO Chief Warns Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Pose Worst Threat to Global Trade in 80 Years

The head of the World Trade Organization has warned that disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz represent the most serious threat to global trade in eight decades, according to Anadolu Agency.

The WTO chief said that while global trade has so far proven resilient despite mounting pressures, prolonged blockades or bottlenecks in the strategically vital waterway could drive up prices for goods worldwide, the news agency reported.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, serves as one of the world's most critical chokepoints for oil and gas shipments, with a significant share of global energy supplies passing through it daily.

According to the report, the WTO chief also cautioned that a failure to modernize international trade rules could put at risk as much as 10 percent of the world's potential economic growth.

The warning underscores growing concern among international trade officials over the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical tensions and chokepoint disruptions, at a time when trade routes worldwide face heightened scrutiny.

Further details on the specific timeline or scope of the disruptions referenced were not immediately available.