WTO will go on if US withdraws, official says

The World Trade Organization would continue even if the US decides to withdraw, according to a former trade rules chief.

Pascal Lamy, former director-general of the WTO, said whether the US stays in depends on the commitment of the world's largest economy to a multilateral rules-based order.

"For the moment, it is the biggest economy in the system, but (staying in) depends on whether you believe at the end of the day that having a collective system, a multilateral cooperation system, is the right way to go. I think the (European Union), Japan, India, China and Africa believe this is so," he said.