In an era of global value chains, worldwide sourcing and the never-ending search for new markets, we must be careful to avoid the proliferation of regional standards. A multilateral approach holds wider benefits for more actors. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
It’s not compatible to expect multilateralism to work and, at the same time, to expect to walk out with everything you wanted. This is a recipe for failure. If we prize the system, we have to come knowing that we will need to make compromises. Sometimes painful compromises. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
In most negotiations, you can’t attribute success or failure in negotiations to one side. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
I think educational systems have to be more nimble, have to be more adapted to today’s realities where students can go in different directions and professionalize even faster. Constant retraining and reskilling and upskilling, whatever you want to call it, of the workforce. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
The best thing we can do to secure the future of the global system, trading system, is to redouble the efforts to improve the system, to reform the system. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
I believe that trade is essential for economic growth and development around the world, but I also believe that trade is imperfect. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
One thinks that one is winning when we slap tariffs or introduce barriers to imports from another country, and we think we win. But you lose when you export because the other countries are going to raise tariffs as well. They’re going to introduce barriers as well. So you win with one hand and you lose with the other. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
My job is to prioritize multi-lateralism, and that of course interests Brazil, which is a global player. I’m representing 159 members, and one of them happens to be Brazil. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
We have to learn how to work within the limits that are possible, not what is desirable. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote
At the WTO, it’s never a general surgery. It’s always a very specific, clinical, precise surgery – and you can’t miss the target. If you miss the target, you kill the patient. It’s as simple as that. Roberto Azevedo Read Quote