Under fire from the United States, wracked by disagreements over China and unable to kickstart stalled trade talks, the World Trade Organization meets under a cloud in Argentina from Sunday.

The Buenos Aires meeting will be the first in the era of US President Donald Trump, who has pummeled the 164-member body relentlessly since taking office, even describing it as a "disaster."

The Trump administration had made the WTO a preferred target of its "America First" policy, threatening to pull America out of the trade organization it says is hampering its ability to compete.

Expectations of any kind of a breakthrough at the Buenos Aires meeting are low.