Monitoreo comercial
Filter :
Overview
1999 was a turbulent year for the WTO. After the Organization had been without a Director-General or Deputy Directors-General for four months the new Director-General Mr. Moore took office only on 1 September when the Third Ministerial Session at Seattle was already looming. It is a matter of record that despite a year of hard preparatory work by the Chairman of the General Council delegations and the Secretariat the Ministerial failed to reach agreement either on the launch of a new Round of trade negotiations or on the other important points which had emerged in the course of the preparatory process. Furthermore the WTO found itself at the centre of a wave of resentment against many aspects of the global economy for which the Seattle Ministerial became a focus.
Organization, secretariat and budget
The World Trade Organization came into being in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which had been established (1947) in the wake of the Second World War. The WTO’s main objective is the establishment of rules for Members’ trade policy which help international trade to expand with a view to raising living standards. These rules foster non-discrimination transparency and predictability in the conduct of trade policy.
World trade developments
A strengthening of world economic output in 1999 reversed the slowdown of world trade in the first half of 1999 and led to a dynamic expansion of trade in the second half. For the year as a whole the real growth of world trade remained unchanged from the preceding year and was below the average trade expansion recorded throughout the 1990s. Although trade growth continued to exceed both the growth in world commodity output and world GDP the excess margin between the growth rates remained smaller in 1999 than those observed during the 1990–1997 period.
Annual Report 2000
The Annual report of the WTO focuses on the regular activities of the organization the details of its current structure staff and budget. The Annual report is published in the first half of each year.
Developments in trade policy, 1998-99
Two years ago the “Asian financial crisis” erupted in Thailand spread rapidly to other countries in the region and affected general investor sentiment in those and other developing countries and transition economies notably Russia in mid-1998 and later Brazil. Output and employment contracted sharply in the countries most directly affected in turn adversely affecting trade of their partners and together with steep commodity price declines trade of many other developing countries. In the past such events could have been invoked as a justification for raising import barriers in an attempt to contain the domestic consequences and shift the burden onto trading partners possibly provoking countermeasures and thereby exacerbating the downturn. However this very serious crisis unfolded in the framework of the WTO the strengthened multilateral trading system created by the Uruguay Round Agreements. The system and the good sense of governments helped to keep markets open facilitating adjustment and providing a critical element for recovery from the Asian crisis.
Overview
Last year’s Annual Report was written when the Asian financial crisis was only a year old. There was still considerable concern then about the risk of contagion and deep recession. A year later the situation is more healthy although only the complacent would contest the need for policy vigilance. Important challenges remain and recovery is far from complete. Global GDP growth decelerated sharply from the record expansion in the previous year while trade volume growth was more than halved. For parts of Asia a contraction in output growth also meant that import volume growth turned negative. The economic performance of other regions helped to maintain global output growth at around 2.0 per cent and world export growth at about 4 per cent in 1998. The United States continued a remarkable period of expansion contributing significantly to the global figure. The European Union grew less but above the global average.
World trade developments
Global output and trade growth decelerated sharply in 1998 as imports of Japan and East Asia fell for the first time since 1974 (first oil crisis). All regions and all broad product categories were affected by the slowdown. The share of the developing countries in world trade dipped for the first time in more than a decade. Nearly two thirds of the world’s economies recorded a decrease in their export earnings which was the worst performance observed in the 1990’s. Preliminary indicators point to an arrest of the slowdown of world trade in the first months of 1999 and an acceleration of growth in the second quarter.
Annual Report 1999
The Annual report of the WTO focuses on the regular activities of the organization the details of its current structure staff and budget. The Annual report is published in the first half of each year.
Developments in trade policy
Since the last WTO Annual Report conditions for trade and trade-related policy-making have become considerably more difficult. The effects of the financial and economic crisis affecting emerging markets and of the economic downturn in Japan are far from fully worked through. They are having a serious impact on the pattern of world economic growth and hence on trade and on commodity markets (Chapter Two). Although there has been some backtracking in trade liberalization the multilateral trading system – as seen in the development of trade policies – seemed in September 1998 to be standing up well to the turbulence in financial and trading markets.
WTO activities
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the legal and institutional foundation of the multilateral trading system. It provides the principal contractual obligations determining how governments frame and implement domestic trade legislation and regulations. It also serves as the platform on which trade relations among countries evolve through collective debate negotiation and adjudication
Globalization and trade
The year 1998 marks five decades of the multilateral trading system. For 50 years the GATT and now the WTO have provided the framework for the conduct of trade relations in a world of growing complexity and interdependence – a world where trade has increased seventeen-fold since the founding of the system and foreign direct investment has grown five-fold in the last decade alone. At the same time the forces of globalization have brought extraordinary new opportunities. It is true of course that the upward trend in world output and trade has not been even or uninterrupted throughout the post-war period. Indeed there have been times of difficulty and disruption posing serious challenges for policy makers. The current economic crisis affecting much of Asia and Russia and exerting pressure on the economies of many other countries in different regions constitutes one of the most challenging sets of circumstances to have confronted the world economy in many decades. The financial crisis in South-East Asia the recession in Japan slower growth in Asia more generally as well as in various countries in other regions and the economic crisis in Russia have combined to create economic conditions in which the global economy could enter a period of contraction. If judicious policies are brought to bear however calming the fears of investors and restoring stability in the financial sector there is a good chance that while the world economy will suffer slower growth accompanied by a painful adjustment process in some countries a deep global depression is avoidable.
World trade in 1997 and in the first half of 1998
Despite the turmoil in world capital markets the global economy and trade expanded at an outstanding pace in 1997. Both GDP and trade growth were higher in 1997 than at any time in the 1990s. The increasing gap between trade and output growth rates in 1997 together with a further surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) indicate continued integration of national markets into the global economy. Increased integration inevitably means that disturbances in one country or region can have an impact elsewhere – a fact of which the world has become sharply aware in recent months as financial crises and lower growth in Asia have affected economic conditions in other regions. These developments emphasize the need for careful and well-directed policies based on adequate international cooperation. Among the policies that are important in reducing contagion and avoiding a downward spiral in the world economy are the maintenance of open markets for trade the restoration of financial stability and the development of adequate regulatory frameworks in the financial sector.
Overview
Financial and economic turmoil has shaken much of the world in the last few months affecting most of Asia and Russia in particular and presenting new challenges for many other countries. This crisis calls for a sense of collective responsibility as urgently as at any other time in the post-war period. From the perspective of the global trading system this means three things. First it requires a clear and continuing commitment by governments to the multilateral trading system and a firm resolve to resist protectionism. Second a fresh impetus toward trade liberalization would contribute to the resolution of the crisis and would send a positive signal to the markets. Third renewed efforts to bring the countries outside the system including Russia and China into the World Trade Organization would help to complete the global economic architecture for which the need has been so strongly demonstrated.
Annual Report 1998
The Annual report of the WTO focuses on the regular activities of the organization the details of its current structure staff and budget. The Annual report is published in the first half of each year.
International Trade Statistics
"International Trade Statistics" provides a detailed overview of the latest developments in world trade covering both merchandise and services trade as well as trade measured in value-added terms
World Trade Statistical Review
The "World Trade Statistical Review" series provides a detailed analysis of the latest developments in world trade. It will be produced on an annual basis and replaces the series "International Trade Statistics" the WTO's former annual statistical publication.
World Trade Report
The "World Trade Report" is an annual publication that aims to deepen understanding about trends in trade trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system.
Annual Report
The "Annual Report" summarises the WTO's activities and provides detailed information on the organization's structure staff and budget.
Trade Policy Reviews
Monitoring of national trade policies is a fundamentally important activity running throughout the work of the WTO. At the centre of this work is the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). All WTO members are reviewed the frequency of each member’s review varying according to its share of world trade. For each review two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government under review and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two reports together with the conclusions of the Chair of the Trade Policy Review Body are published shortly after the meeting.
Report on G20 Trade Measures
This report looks at the latest trade policy measures undertaken by G20 countries. These includes measures that facilitate as well as restrict the flow of trade. The Report is published twice a year. This trade monitoring function is overseen by the WTO's Trade Policy Review Body.
Trade Profiles
"Trade Profiles" provides two-pages snapshots of the most relevant indicators on merchandise trade services and intellectual property for over 200 economies including all WTO members.
Report to the TPRB from the Director-General on Trade-Related Developments
This report by the Director-General looks at the latest trade policy measures undertaken by WTO members and observers. These includes measures that facilitate as well as restrict the flow of trade. It is one of two trade monitoring reports published each year covering the whole WTO membership. This trade monitoring function is overseen by the WTO's Trade Policy Review Body.
Overview of Developments in the International Trading Environment: Annual Report by the Director-General
This annual report by the Director-General looks at the latest trade policy measures undertaken by WTO members and observers. These includes measures that facilitate as well as restrict the flow of trade. It is one of two trade monitoring reports published each year covering the whole WTO membership. This trade monitoring function is overseen by the WTO's Trade Policy Review Body.
Trade Profiles
The Trade Profiles provide standard information on the structural trade situation and trade policy measures of members observers and other selected economies. The profiles are complemented with general macroeconomic indicators.
Time Series on International Trade
This site provides a searchable database on international trade in merchandise and commercial services. The data are presented according to the product definitions and regional groupings specified in the technical notes.