US President Donald Trump has repeatedly told top White House officials he wants the United States to withdraw from the World Trade Organization, the news website Axios reported on Friday, citing people involved in the discussions.

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One person who has discussed the subject with Trump, according to Axios, said the president frequently told advisers: "I don’t know why we’re in it. The WTO is designed by the rest of the world to screw the United States."

However, Axios said any withdrawal from the WTO would require an act of the US Congress, and that Trump was unlikely to persuade it to carry out his wish.

"Sources with knowledge of the situation say the Trump administration will continue to call attention to various ways in which the US encounters what some Trump advisers perceive is unfair and unbalanced treatment within framework of the WTO," the report said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last Friday, the United States ramped up its challenge to the global trading system, telling the WTO that appeals rulings in trade disputes could be vetoed if they took longer than the allowed 90 days.

First Published:Jun 29, 2018 5:20 PM IST