UK nominates Liam Fox to lead World Trade Organization, amid calls for US to quit

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The British government on Wednesday announced that it was nominating former International Trade Secretary Liam Fox to head the World Trade Organization – selecting a strongly pro-Washington candidate at a time when the U.S. is debating quitting the trade body.

“Dr. Fox is a passionate advocate of multilateralism, who brings detailed knowledge of the global trading system from his years as a U.K. cabinet minister and secretary of state for international trade,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a letter to the Geneva-based organization. “He has first-hand experience of the political and technical challenges of negotiating trade agreements and the reforms that are needed to ensure the global trading system truly delivers for all WTO members.”

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Britain was one of a number of members of the organization to put forward nominations for a replacement for Director-General Roberto Azevedo, who is stepping down in August after seven years leading the body.

The eventual pick needs to win the consensus from all member states.

Fox was a strong supporter of the ultimately successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union in 2016. Britain formally left the bloc earlier this year and entered a transition phase due to expire at the end of the year.

He has also been a vocal advocate for close ties between Britain and the U.S., meaning that if picked he could help blunt calls from Washington for the U.S. to leave the bloc. In a statement welcoming his nomination, he indicated that he would push to reform the organization.

Jan 30, 2020: Dr Liam Fox in Downing Street, London, ahead of a meeting. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire via Getty Images)

"I am honored to have been nominated by the prime minister to be a candidate to lead the World Trade Organization. I believe that if we want to keep the WTO relevant and vibrant our task is clear: Update. Strengthen and Reform," he said.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have backed calls for the U.S. to withdraw from the organization, amid fears it does not benefit the U.S. and has helped China. Trump has accused the WTO of letting Beijing get away with unfair state subsidies and for allegedly strong-arming foreign businesses into giving up their intellectual property in order to gain access to the giant Chinese market.

“The World Trade Organization is horrible,” Trump said in May. “We’ve been treated very badly. I’ve been saying it for a long time. They treat China as a developing nation, therefore China gets a lot of the benefits that the U.S. doesn’t get.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to pull out. Politico reported last month that Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Frank Pallone, D-N.J., have also introduced a resolution calling for withdrawal. Votes on both resolutions are expected this month.

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"International organizations like the WTO have enabled the rise of China and benefited elites around the globe while hollowing out American industry, from small towns to once-thriving urban centers. We need to return production to America, secure critical supply chains and encourage domestic innovation,” Hawley said in May. "Pulling out of the WTO is a good first step."

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Saudi Arabia and six others have also put forward candidates to lead the body ahead of a Wednesday evening deadline.

The time frame for the election has not been decided. The WTO chief is chosen by consensus by its 164 member states, based on a recommendation from its selection committee.

Fox News' Vandana Rambaran and The Associated Press contributed to this report.