GENEVA—The World Trade Organization’s bid to select a new leader was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday after the United States rejected the proposed candidate for the position of director-general of the global trade watchdog.
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala came out ahead of South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee as the preferred candidate by member countries, with one to become the organization’s first female leader. The two were selected from five candidates, including Kenya’s Amb. Amina C. Mohamed, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, and Britain’s Dr. Liam Fox, who had advanced to the second round of consultations with WTO members.
