About the WTO
Conclusion
The results of the 2022 OECD–WTO monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise underline the need for more Aid for Trade and for better-targeted financing. They confirm that the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant setback for the integration into world trade of many developing countries and for their development prospects especially for least-developed countries (LDCs).
Executive summary
Trade objectives feature prominently in the development strategies of developing countries. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic trade remains a development priority. This is the strong message that emerges from the 2022 Aid for Trade monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise conducted jointly with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
B2B E-commerce marketplaces and MSMES
COVID-19 vs. GFC
The impact of LDC graduation on trade
Communication break down
Innovation and patenting activities of COVID-19 vaccines in WTO members
United States - Safeguard measure on imports of large residential washers
United States - Countervailing duty measures on certain products from China
How do environmental policies affect green innovation and trade?
Trade negotiations and discussions
Changes to the rules of trade require the agreement of WTO members who must reach a decision through negotiations.
Introduction
The overall objective of the WTO is to help its members use trade as a means to raise living standards create jobs and improve people’s lives. The WTO operates the global system of trade rules and helps developing countries build their trade capacity. It also provides a forum for its members to negotiate trade agreements and to resolve the trade problems they face with each other.
Secretariat and budget
The WTO Secretariat has over 600 regular staff and coordinates the activities of the WTO. Most of the WTO’s annual budget consists of contributions by its members.
Outreach
The WTO maintains regular dialogue with the business community non-governmental organizations parliamentarians other international organizations the media and the general public to enhance cooperation and raise awareness of trade issues.
Dispute settlement
WTO members bring disputes to the WTO if they think their rights under trade agreements are being infringed. Settling disputes is the responsibility of the Dispute Settlement Body.
12th Ministerial Conference – a snapshot
The 12th Ministerial Conference took place from 12 to 17 June 2021 at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva. It was originally scheduled to take place in December 2022 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Implementation and monitoring
Various WTO councils and committees seek to ensure that WTO agreements are being properly implemented. All WTO members undergo periodic scrutiny of their trade policies and practices.
Supporting development and building trade capacity
The WTO aims to help developing countries build their trade capacity and allows them a longer time to implement trade agreements. Hundreds of training courses are organized each year for officials from developing countries.
Membership
The WTO currently has 164 members. The accession process for new members promotes their integration into the global economy.
Trade negotiations and discussions
Changes to the rules of trade require the agreement of WTO members who must reach a decision through negotiations.
12th Ministerial Conference – a snapshot
The 12th Ministerial Conference took place from 12 to 17 June 2022 at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva. It was originally scheduled to take place in December 2021 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Membership
The WTO currently has 164 members. The accession process for new members promotes their integration into the global economy.
Supporting development and building trade capacity
The WTO aims to help developing countries build their trade capacity and allows them a longer time to implement trade agreements. Hundreds of training courses are organized each year for officials from developing countries.
Dispute settlement
WTO members bring disputes to the WTO if they think their rights under trade agreements are being infringed. Settling disputes is the responsibility of the Dispute Settlement Body.
Implementation and monitoring
Various WTO councils and committees seek to ensure that WTO agreements are being properly implemented. All WTO members undergo periodic scrutiny of their trade policies and practices.
Outreach
The WTO maintains regular dialogue with the business community non-governmental organizations parliamentarians other international organizations the media and the general public to enhance cooperation and raise awareness of trade issues.
Annual Report 2022
The WTO Annual Report 2022 provides a comprehensive account of the WTO's activities in 2021 and early 2022. It also covers the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) originally scheduled for end-2021 but postponed until June 2022. The Report opens with a message from Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and an overview of the past year followed by in-depth accounts of the WTO’s main areas of activity in 2021 and early 2022 including spotlights highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on world trade and the 2021 Public Forum
Secretariat and budget
The WTO Secretariat has over 600 regular staff and coordinates the activities of the WTO. Most of the WTO’s annual budget consists of contributions by its members.
Introduction
The overall objective of the WTO is to help its members use trade as a means to raise living standards create jobs and improve people’s lives. The WTO operates the global system of trade rules and helps developing countries build their trade capacity. It also provides a forum for its members to negotiate trade agreements and to resolve the trade problems they face with each other.
India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane
India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane
India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane
Services Domestic Regulation
Services is the fastest-growing sector of today's global economy and trade in services is the most dynamic segment of world trade. However its potential remains constrained by a variety of barriers: trade costs are estimated to be almost double those in goods and more than 40% of trade costs are accounted for by regulation-related factors. Regulatory measures related to the permission to supply a service i.e. those related to licensing and qualifications requirements and procedures and technical standards can particularly affect service suppliers' ability to trade. With a view to mitigating the unintended trade-restrictive effects of such measures since 2017 a group of Members has been negotiating a set of regulatory disciplines in the context of the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation.
United States - Safeguard Measure on Imports of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products
On 2 September 2021 the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by China in “United States — Safeguard Measure on Imports of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products” (DS562).
Assessing the Supply Chain Effect of Natural Disasters
This paper uses Chinese firm level data to detect the international propagation of adverse shocks triggered by the US hurricane season in 2005. We provide evidence that Chinese processing manufacturers with tight trade linkages to the United States reduced their intermediate imports from the United States between July and October 2005.
Morocco - Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on School Exercise Books from Tunisia
On 27 July 2021 he WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Tunisia in “Morocco — Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on School Exercise Books from Tunisia” (DS578).
Canada - Measures Governing the Sale of Wine
On 25 May 2021 the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Australia in “Canada — Measures Governing the Sale of Wine” (DS537).
“Agricultural Products” and “Fishery Products” in the GATT and WTO
The WTO Agreement on Agriculture applies to those “agricultural products” as defined in its Annex 1. This definition expressly excludes “fish and fish products” from the scope of application of the Agreement. In light of this exclusion the paper is intended to provide a historical account of the relationship between agricultural products and fishery products in the context of the negotiations leading to and during the GATT period up to the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and some of its implications for WTO negotiations.
WTO Members
Currently the WTO has 164 Members. They are listed in the table below according to their designated full names as of the date of membership or according to the names as subsequently submitted to the WTO Secretariat. In line with the practice of the WTO Secretariat the remaining sections of this publication use the short names of Members as listed in the latest revision to document WT/INF/43/Rev.22 except in the titles of relevant accession protocols.
Introduction
This publication concerns the treaty instruments drawn up by WTO Members in relation to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) and the Multi- and Plurilateral Trade Agreements annexed to that Agreement.