商务英语综合教程上册课件刘玉玲主编 ISBN9787810789844Unit 2 WTO in Brief.pptVIP

Unit Two Introduction The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rule 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. Text 1 In brief, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly，predictably and freely as possible． 10 The past 50 years have seen an exceptional growth in world trade. Merchandise exports grew on average by 6％annually. Total trade in 1997 was 14-times the level of 1950. GATT and the WTO have helped to create a strong and prosperous trading system contributing to unprecedented growth. 11 The system was developed through a series of trade negotiations or rounds held under GATT. The first rounds dealt mainly with tariff reductions but later negotiations included other areas such as anti-dumping and non-tariff measures. The latest round--the 1986-94 Uruguay Round--led to the WTO’s creation. 12 The negotiations did not end there. Some continued after the end of the Uruguay Round. In February 1997 agreement was reached on telecommunications services, with 69 governments agreeing to wide-ranging liberalization measures that went beyond those agreed in the Uruguay Round. 13 In the same year, 40 governments successfully concluded negotiations for tariff-free trade in information technology products, and 70 members concluded a financial services deal covering more than 95% of trade in banking, insurance，securities and financial information． 14 At the May 1998 ministerial meeting in Geneva，WTO members agreed to study trade issues arising from global electronic com