The Biden administration’s approach to international negotiations marks a step change in US trade policy. But despite a change in tone towards the World Trade Organization (WTO), there is little indication that the US will prioritise tackling key issues plaguing the global trade body. On February 5, two weeks after his inauguration, President Joe Biden marked the US’ return to multilateralism by lifting opposition to the appointment of Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the new director general of the WTO. Breaking this impasse, in place since October when the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) – then led by Robert Lighthizer – threw its support behind