The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called for calm over tariff threats by United States President Donald Trump.

On Monday, after his presidential inauguration, Trump threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada for failing to meet U.S. immigration standards by February 1.

At the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Okonjo-Iweala addressed the development during a panel discussion held on Tuesday. Okonjo-Iweala advised WTO members to observe actual policy implementations before reacting, saying calmness is necessary during uncertain developments. “I’m concerned, but you can see my attitude and approach is keep calm,” she said.

“Let’s see what policies are actually enacted and implemented before we get overexcited. That’s the first thing. You know, cautious optimism. I know it’s coming down and the tariffs will be pronounced, but look at what is being done first.”