2. INTRODUCTION
• Headquarters: Centre William Rappard,
Geneva, Switzerland.
• Establish: 1 January 1995
• Created by :Uruguay round negotiation
(1986-94)
• Membership: 159 countries on 2 March
2013
• Budget: 197 million swiss francs for 2013
• Secretariat staff: 640
• Director-General: : Roberto Azevêdo
3. INTRODUCTION
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the
international body dealing with the rules of trade
between nations.
• Its goal is to supervise and expand international
trade, monitor national trade policies, and provide
technical assistance to developing nations.
• The WTO is a forum for negotiating and
formalizing agreements between nations, as well
as resolving disputes.
• The organization grew from the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which
was established shortly after World War II.
4. HISTORY
The WTO began life on 1 January
1995, but its trading system is half a century
older. Since 1948, the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) had provided the
rules for the system. (The second WTO
ministerial meeting, held in Geneva in May
1998, included a celebration of the 50th
anniversary of the system.)
5. OBJECTIVES OF WTO
• To implement the new world trade system as visualized in the
Agreement;
• To promote World Trade in a manner that benefits every
country;
• To ensure that developing countries secure a better balance in
the sharing of the advantages resulting from the expansion of
international trade corresponding to their developmental
needs;
• To demolish all hurdles to an open world trading system and
usher in international economic renaissance because the world
trade is an effective instrument to foster economic growth;
6. OBJECTIVES OF WTO
• To enhance competitiveness among all trading partners so as
to benefit consumers and help in global integration;
• To increase the level of production and productivity with a
view to ensuring level of employment in the world;
• To expand and utilize world resources to the best;
• To improve the level of living for the global population and
speed up economic development of the member nations.
7. WHAT IS GATT
The General Agreement On Tariff And
Trade(GATT),the predecessor of WTO ,
was born in 1948 ,as result of the
international desire to liberalize trade.
The GATT was transformed into a
World Trade Organization(WTO) with
effect from January 1995.
India is one of the founder member of
IMF, world bank, GATT and the WTO.
8. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GATT
AND THE WTO
• GATT was a set of rules, with no institutional
foundation ,only a small associated secretariat ,and
WTO is a permanent institution with its own
secretariat.
• GATT was applied on a provisional basis but
WTO commitments are full and permanent .
• GATT applied only on merchandise goods but
WTO applied on trade in services and trade-related
aspects of intellectual property foreign investment
etc.
• WTO dispute settlement system is faster, more
automatic than GATT.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GATT AND
THE WTO
9. • Agreement on agriculture.
• Agreement on trade in textiles and clothing.
• Agreement on manufactured goods.
• Agreement on TRIMs.
• Agreement on TRIPs.
• Agreement on services.
• Disputes settlement body.
SALIENT FEATURES OF URUGUAY
ROUND
10. The Uruguay Round increased
bindings Percentages of tariffs bound before
and after the 1986-94 talks Before After
Developed countries7899Developing
countries2173Transition
economies7398(These are tariff lines, so
percentages are not weighted according to
trade volume or value) In the WTO, when
countries agree to open their markets for
goods or services, they “bind”.
URUGUAY ROUND
11. MEMBERS
• 159 countries are the members of WTO.
Ukraine became the newest member on
May 16, 2008.
• India 1 January 1995
• Australia 1 January 1995
• Mexico 1 January 1995
• Israel 21 April 1995
• Italy 1 January 1995
• Jamaica 9 March 1995
• Japan 1 January 1995………………..
MEMBERS
12. BENEFITS TO INDIA
• World bank, GATT –level of trade in
goods by 745 billion U.S. dollars in 2005.
• In agricultural exports.
• URA strengthened multilateral rules and
disciplines (safeguards, disputes settlement
etc).
• MFA (multi-fibre arrangement) by 2005
Benefits in exports of textiles and clothing.
13. WTO launches first global
review of Aid for Trade
• The WTO, its members and key
international agencies will conduct
the first global review of Aid for
Trade — aimed at expanding the trade
capacity of developing countries —
on 20-21 November 2007 in Geneva.
14. CONCLUSION
India , as a developing economy , has
been benefitted being a founding member of
World Trade Organization. The country at
large has seen many significant changes
which have taken place after the formation of
WTO . There are some issues which are yet to
be sorted out with the WTO and but by and
large things are falling in shape for the Indian
Economy.