WTO

G20 governments continue to resist protectionist pressures but risks remain: A joint report by the WTO, OECD and UNCTAD released on 4 November 2010 for the Group of 20 biggest economies, ahead of their meeting in Seoul on 11 November, says that by and large, G20 governments have continued to resist protectionist pressures. But it also warns of potential dangers in the months ahead because of persistent high levels of unemployment and tensions over foreign exchange rates.

The WTO Secretariat has prepared this booklet to assist public understanding of the SPS Agreement, it concerns the application of food safety and animal and plant health regulations. The first section of the booklet presents the basic structure of WTO agreements; the second looks at the key features of the SPS Agreement; the third addresses a number of frequently-asked questions; and the fourth is the legal text of the agreement.

Status of WTO Legal Instruments covers the legal instruments drawn up by WTO members in relation to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and the plurilateral trade agreements annexed to that Agreement. For each legal instrument, information is provided regarding signature, acceptance, ratification, accession and entry into force. The relevant final clauses of each instrument are also included. The cut-off point for information in this publication is end-April 2015.

This booklet is a quick source for national and trade statistics of WTO Members and countries which are in the process of negotiating WTO membership. These Trade Profiles combine information on trade flows and trade policy measures of Members, Observers and other selected economies. The information is retrieved from various WTO Divisions and external sources and presented in standardized format for quick reference. The indicators are divided into five categories: Basic economic indicators – population, GDP, current account balance, etc. Trade policy indicators – specific WTO relevant information, including tariff binding information, import duties collected in total tax revenue, the number of dispute rulings(complainant, defendant), notifications outstanding and contingency measures in force. Merchandise trade indicators (customs-based statistics) – information on total trade flows broken down by broad product categories and major origins and destinations. Commercial services indicators (balance of payments based statistics) – trends in total trade flows and a breakdown by major components. Industrial property indicators – annual number of patents granted and marks registered in the name of residents and non-residents in the economy.

Trade multilateralism in the twenty-first-century century faces a serious test as weakness in the global economy and fast-paced technological changes create a challenging environment for world trade. This book examines how an updated and robust, rules-based multilateral framework, anchored in the WTO, remains indispensable to maximizing the benefits of global economic integration and to reviving world trade. By examining recent accessions to the WTO, it reveals how the growing membership of the WTO has helped to support domestic reforms and to strengthen the rules-based framework of the WTO. It argues that the new realities of the twenty-first century require an upgrade to the architecture of the multilateral trading system. By erecting its 'upper floors' on the foundation of existing trade rules, the WTO can continue to adapt to a fast-changing environment and to maximize the benefits brought about by its ever-expanding membership.

World Tariff Profiles 2013 — a joint publication of the WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) — provides comprehensive tariff information on all WTO members and a number of other countries where data is available. It is the only compilation of tariff information of its kind available to researchers and negotiators. The publication summarizes the market access that each country offers to imports as well as the market access conditions faced by its products in its major export markets. The profiles show both the maximum tariff rates that are legally “bound” in the WTO and the rates that countries actually apply. The technical annex in this year’s issue focuses on WTO members’ participation in regional trade agreements (RTAs), with complementary data provided on tariff elimination in RTAs notified under the WTO’s Transparency Mechanism.

This new publication replaces the WTO’s annual flagship publication, "International Trade Statistics". "Statistical Review of International Trade 2016" provides a detailed analysis of the latest developments in world trade, focusing on the most recent trends in goods and services trade and the participation of developing economies in world trade. The publication also looks ahead to future developments. The analytical chapters are complemented by a statistical appendix containing over 60 tables providing detailed data on trade by region and sector. The publication serves as an invaluable reference tool for researchers, policy makers and anyone interested in international trade.

El Informe anual de la OMC se centra en las actividades ordinarias de la organización y los detalles de su estructura, personal y presupuesto actuales.

The Director-General’s annual overview on trade-related developments presented to members on 11 December at a meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) shows a significant increase in trade coverage of trade restrictive measures by WTO members from mid-October 2017 to mid-October 2018. While members continued to implement trade-facilitating measures, the trade coverage of the import-restrictive measures was more than seven times larger than that recorded in the previous annual overview. The report provides the first WTO-wide factual insight into the trade restrictive measures imposed in the context of current trade tensions and calls on WTO members to use all means at their disposal to de-escalate the situation.