TheWorldTradeOrganization(WTO)han.ppt

Tony Xiang The World Trade Organization (WTO) History, Purpose, and Issues History From 1947 through 1994, the most important mechanism for promoting and regulating world trade was the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 于1948年1月1日生效 GATT was established after the failure of state representatives to reach agreement on the details for an International Trade Organization (ITO) GATT GATT covers international trade in goods. The workings of the GATT agreement are the responsibility of the Council for Trade in Goods (Goods Council) which is made up of representatives from all WTO member countries GATT Features Trade shall be conducted on a nondiscriminatory basis Protection shall be afforded domestic industries through customs tariffs, not through commercial measures Consultation shall be the primary method used to solve global trade problems 关贸总协定历次贸易谈判 Uruguay Round The multilateral trading system was developed through a series of trade negotiations, or rounds, held under GATT. The first round dealt mainly with tariff reductions but later included areas such as anti-dumping and non-tariff measures. The latest round, 1986-93 Uruguay Round, led to the creation of the WTO（1995.1.1） WTO The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. WTO Functions The WTO’s main objective is to help trade flow smoothly, freely, fairly and predictably. It does this by: Administering trade agreements Acting as a forum for trade negotiations Settling trade disputes Reviewing national trade policies Assisting developing countries in trade policy issues, through technical assistance and training programs Cooperating with other international organizations Structure The