This publication is a collaboration between the WCO and the WTO to gain a better understanding of how the latest advanced technologies can help customs authorities to contribute to trade facilitation and to shed light on the opportunities and challenges customs authorities face when deploying blockchain, the internet of things, big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

This new edition provides an introduction to the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture, outlining its key principles, the work of the Agriculture Committee, and how disputes have interpreted WTO law on agriculture. This publication forms part of the WTO Agreements Series, which aims to assist understanding of WTO agreements. Other publications in the series include Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade.

La pandémie de COVID-19 (coronavirus) a mis en lumière les avantages et les inconvénients du commerce international des produits et services médicaux. Un commerce ouvert peut favoriser l’accès mondial aux produits et services médicaux – ainsi qu’aux intrants essentiels nécessaires à leur production –, améliorer la qualité et la variété de ces produits et services, et réduire les coûts. Toutefois, une concentration excessive de la production, des politiques commerciales restrictives, des perturbations des chaînes d’approvisionnement et des divergences réglementaires peuvent compromettre la capacité des systèmes de santé publique à se préparer et à répondre aux pandémies et autres crises sanitaires. La publication Thérapie par le commerce : Approfondir la coopération pour renforcer les moyens de lutter contre les pandémies, coordonnée par Nadia Rocha et Michele Ruta à la Banque mondiale, et par Marc Bacchetta et Joscelyn Magdeleine à l’Organisation mondiale du commerce, contient de nouvelles données sur le commerce des produits et services médicaux et les chaînes de valeur de produits médicaux, examine l’évolution du panorama des politiques avant et pendant la pandémie, et propose un plan d’action visant à améliorer les politiques commerciales et à approfondir la coopération internationale pour faire face aux futures pandémies. Alors que la pandémie de COVID-19 perdure, l’action politique se concentre sur la réponse, qui inclut des mesures visant à promouvoir l’équité vaccinale grâce aux aides publiques et à supprimer les obstacles en la matière. Une fois l’urgence passée, l’accent devrait être mis sur la prévention et la préparation. La priorité devrait être d’adopter des mesures pour combler les lacunes d’information, s’appuyant sur les travaux de l’Équipe spéciale multilatérale des dirigeants chargée des vaccins, des traitements et des produits de diagnostic contre la COVID-19 et de l’Accélérateur ACT, et d’encourager l’ouverture des marchés, notamment par la négociation de réductions de droits de douane pour les produits médicaux et l’amélioration de l’accès aux marchés pour les services. Il convient également de prendre des mesures pour accroître l’efficacité des marchés, notamment l’harmonisation des réglementations grâce à la reconnaissance mutuelle ou l’équivalence des normes, et l’établissement de normes internationales applicables aux produits et intrants médicaux essentiels et aux processus de production. Un accord sur un ensemble de règles de crise à appliquer en cas d’urgence, qui comprendrait des limites claires et convenues concernant la flexibilité de la politique d’exportation ainsi que des règles communes sur les flexibilités relatives à la propriété intellectuelle, constituerait une base politique plus solide pour relever les défis futurs.

Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam – the so-called Mekong-3 - have experienced rapid trade growth over the last ten years. However, growth could be boosted even further by improving access to trade finance, such as loans and guarantees, for locally owned businesses seeking to trade globally. This publication presents the results of two surveys undertaken by the IFC to determine the level of trade finance available to businesses in the Mekong region. An analysis of the data conducted by the WTO explores the potential impact of an expansion in trade finance and how this could lead to greater integration into world trade and more inclusiveness, with increased participation in global supply chains by small businesses and women-owned enterprises. The publication is intended to serve as a guide to how domestic financial sectors can reorient their operations to support cross-border trade and enhanced access to global markets.

Can the flow of goods, services, and ideas build bridges where conflict once prevailed? If so, under whatcircumstances? The World Trade Organization (WTO) stands for a predictable, rules-based system based on the principle of non-discrimination. When the predecessor to the WTO – the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade – was established some 70 years ago, conflict among nations was at an historic low, following World War II. In the changed global political landscape of today, geopolitical tensions, disruptions to trade and increasing concerns about economic inequality have come to the fore, challenging the foundations of multilateral trade relationships, and trade cooperation more generally. Pathways to Sustainable Trade and Peace is the first WTO publication dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the complex relationship between trade and peace. The publication examines a number of critical questions. How do trade and peace interact? Can trade be leveraged to foster economic development and stability? What can governments and other stakeholders do to foster positive interaction between trade and peace? The volume focuses specifically but not exclusively on fragile and conflict-affected economies, including case studies and analyses from various policy angles.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the integral role of international trade in responding to the global health crisis. All communities depended to some extent on trade for medical products, related services and vaccines. In particular, the pandemic accentuated the mutual benefit from the core principles of the multilateral trading system, especially the benefits of open and well-functioning international production and supply chains, and non-discriminatory measures. This publication looks into the WTO’s response to the pandemic in terms of four key areas: monitoring the flow of goods related to COVID-19, working towards a coordinated and effective international response to the pandemic, conducting policy and statistical analysis with other intergovernmental organizations, and analysing the lessons learned from the pandemic to shape a blueprint for future international cooperation. The publication examines how WTO members negotiated a framework to guide and consolidate the WTO’s response to the pandemic, to enhance the flow of practical knowledge, and to help render the multilateral trading system better prepared for future crises. Negotiations resulted in the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022. The importance of this work was confirmed in the Ministerial Declaration issued in March 2024 at MC13, which encouraged relevant WTO bodies to continue their work on reviewing the lessons learned from the pandemic and on building effective solutions in case of future pandemics.

“Trade Policy Reviews" analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - "key trade facts" - provides a visual overview of the WTO member's major exports/imports, main export destinations, origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Argentina.

“Trade Policy Reviews" analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - "key trade facts" - provides a visual overview of the WTO member's major exports/imports, main export destinations, origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Bahrain, Kingdom of.

“Trade Policy Reviews” analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - “key trade facts” - provides a visual overview of the WTO member’s major exports/imports, main export destinations, origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Brazil.

“Trade Policy Reviews” analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body. The opening section - “key trade facts” - provides a visual overview of the WTO member’s major exports/imports, main export destinations, origins for its imports and other key data. This edition looks into the trade practices of Cabo Verde.