The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995 to supervise and liberalize international trade. It provides a framework for negotiating and formalizing trade agreements and a dispute resolution process. The WTO grew out of previous institutions like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which conducted a series of trade negotiations. A major milestone was the Uruguay Round which expanded the global trading system to include services, intellectual property, agriculture, and textiles. The Doha Development Round aimed to help developing countries through trade liberalization but negotiations have proven difficult, especially regarding agriculture subsidies and access to medicines.

1. World Trade Organization
Ashay

2. Introduction
 Organization to supervise and liberalize international
trade
 Commenced on 1st Jan, 1995 under the Marrakech
Agreement
 Director General, Headquarters
 Regulates trade by
- provides framework for negotiating and
formalizing trade agreements
- dispute resolution process

3. History
 International Trade Organization
 GATT
- 7 rounds
- Kennedy Round, anti dumping
- Tokyo Round, non-tariff barriers
- Plurilateral Agreements
- Codes
- 2 codes left, bovine meat and dairy
agreements

4. Uruguay Round
 8th round, Sept 1986, Punta Del Este, Uruguay
 Problems
- Structural deficiency
- spill over impact of certain countries policies on
world trade
 Biggest negotiating mandate on trade
- Extended trading system into Services and IP
- Reform trade in agriculture and textiles
 Agreement signed at Marrakesh, Morocco on 15 Apr,
1994

5.  Agreement structure, 6 parts
- WTO
- Goods and Investment GATT 1994 and TRIMS
- Services
- Intellectual Property (TRIPS)
- Dispute Settlement
- Review of governments trade policies
 Increased binding commitments

6. Doha Development Round
 4th round at Doha, Qatar on Nov, 2001
 Aim
- Help world’s poor, by slashing barriers and
subsidy in agriculture
- substantial assistance to developing
countries
- trade liberalization

7. Issues
 Agriculture
- most controversial issue
- substantial reduction in trade distorting
support, subsidies
- substantial reduction in tariffs
- import sensitive products
- special products

8.  Access to Patented Medicines
- Balance of interests
- pharmaceutical companies
- public health needs
- 2003, allowed export to least developed
countries

9.  Special and Differential Treatment
- Duty free and quota free access for LDC’s
 Implementation Issues

10. Bali Package
 9th Ministerial Conference, 2013
 1st agreement approved by all members
 Provisions
- Abolish hard import quotas
- Reforming customs bureaucracies to
facilitate trade
- lowering tariffs and agricultural subsidies

11.  Trade Facilitation
 Agriculture
 Cotton
 Development and LDC Issues

12. WTO and India
 Agriculture
- 10% cap
- international monitoring
- subsidies by developed countries
 Non Agriculture Market Access
 Services

13. Thank You !