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History of the World Trade Organization

History of the World Trade Organization

Origins of the World Trade Organization: History

History of accesing World Trade Organization members

Note: The original member states of the World Trade Organization are the parties to the GATT after ratifying the Uruguay Round Agreements.

Country and date of Membership:

Afghanistan 29 July 2016
Albania 8 September 2000
Angola 23 November 1996 (GATT: 8 April 1994)
Antigua and Barbuda 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 March 1987)
Argentina 1 January 1995 (GATT: 11 October 1967)
Armenia 5 February 2003
Australia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Austria 1 January 1995 (GATT: 19 October 1951)
Bahrain, Kingdom of 1 January 1995 (GATT: 13 December 1993)
Bangladesh 1 January 1995 (GATT: 16 December 1972)
Barbados 1 January 1995 (GATT: 15 February 1967)
Belgium 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Belize 1 January 1995 (GATT: 7 October 1983)
Benin 22 February 1996 (GATT: 12 September 1963)
Bolivia, Plurinational State of 12 September 1995 (GATT: 8 September 1990)
Botswana 31 May 1995 (GATT: 28 August 1987)
Brazil 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 July 1948)
Brunei Darussalam 1 January 1995 (GATT: 9 December 1993)
Bulgaria 1 December 1996
Burkina Faso 3 June 1995 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
Burundi 23 July 1995 (GATT: 13 March 1965)
Cabo Verde 23 July 2008
Cambodia 13 October 2004
Cameroon 13 December 1995 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
Canada 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Central African Republic 31 May 1995 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
Chad 19 October 1996 (GATT: 12 July 1963)
Chile 1 January 1995 (GATT: 16 March 1949)
China 11 December 2001
Colombia 30 April 1995 (GATT: 3 October 1981)
Congo 27 March 1997 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
Costa Rica 1 January 1995 (GATT: 24 November 1990)
Côte d’Ivoire 1 January 1995 (GATT: 31 December 1963)
Croatia 30 November 2000
Cuba 20 April 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Cyprus 30 July 1995 (GATT: 15 July 1963)
Czech Republic 1 January 1995 (GATT: 15 April 1993)
Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 January 1997
Denmark 1 January 1995 (GATT: 28 May 1950)
Djibouti 31 May 1995 (GATT: 16 December 1994)
Dominica 1 January 1995 (GATT: 20 April 1993)
Dominican Republic 9 March 1995 (GATT: 19 May 1950)
Ecuador 21 January 1996
Egypt 30 June 1995 (GATT: 9 May 1970)
El Salvador 7 May 1995 (GATT: 22 May 1991)
Estonia 13 November 1999
European Union (formerly European Communities) 1 January 1995
Fiji 14 January 1996 (GATT: 16 November 1993)
Finland 1 January 1995 (GATT: 25 May 1950)
France 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Gabon 1 January 1995 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
The Gambia 23 October 1996 (GATT: 22 February 1965)
Georgia 14 June 2000
Germany 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 October 1951)
Ghana 1 January 1995 (GATT: 17 October 1957)
Greece 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 March 1950)
Grenada 22 February 1996 (GATT: 9 February 1994)
Guatemala 21 July 1995 (GATT: 10 October 1991)
Guinea 25 October 1995 (GATT: 8 December 1994)
Guinea-Bissau 31 May 1995 (GATT: 17 March 1994)
Guyana 1 January 1995 (GATT: 5 July 1966)
Haiti 30 January 1996 (GATT: 1 January 1950)
Honduras 1 January 1995 (GATT: 10 April 1994)
Hong Kong, China 1 January 1995 (GATT: 23 April 1986)
Hungary 1 January 1995 (GATT: 9 September 1973)
Iceland 1 January 1995 (GATT: 21 April 1968)
India 1 January 1995 (GATT: 8 July 1948)
Indonesia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 24 February 1950)
Ireland 1 January 1995 (GATT: 22 December 1967)
Israel 21 April 1995 (GATT: 5 July 1962)
Italy 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 May 1950)
Jamaica 9 March 1995 (GATT: 31 December 1963)
Japan 1 January 1995 (GATT: 10 September 1955)
Jordan 11 April 2000
Kazakhstan 30 November 2015
Kenya 1 January 1995 (GATT: 5 February 1964)
Korea, Republic of 1 January 1995 (GATT: 14 April 1967)
Kuwait, the State of 1 January 1995 (GATT: 3 May 1963)
Kyrgyz Republic 20 December 1998
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 2 February 2013
Latvia 10 February 1999
Lesotho 31 May 1995 (GATT: 8 January 1988)
Liberia 14 July 2016
Liechtenstein 1 September 1995 (GATT: 29 March 1994)
Lithuania 31 May 2001
Luxembourg 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Macao, China 1 January 1995 (GATT: 11 January 1991)
Madagascar 17 November 1995 (GATT: 30 September 1963)
Malawi 31 May 1995 (GATT: 28 August 1964)
Malaysia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 24 October 1957)
Maldives 31 May 1995 (GATT: 19 April 1983)
Mali 31 May 1995 (GATT: 11 January 1993)
Malta 1 January 1995 (GATT: 17 November 1964)
Mauritania 31 May 1995 (GATT: 30 September 1963)
Mauritius 1 January 1995 (GATT: 2 September 1970)
Mexico 1 January 1995 (GATT: 24 August 1986)
Moldova, Republic of 26 July 2001
Mongolia 29 January 1997
Montenegro 29 April 2012
Morocco 1 January 1995 (GATT: 17 June 1987)
Mozambique 26 August 1995 (GATT: 27 July 1992)
Myanmar 1 January 1995 (GATT: 29 July 1948)
Namibia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 15 September 1992)
Nepal 23 April 2004
Netherlands 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
New Zealand 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 July 1948)
Nicaragua 3 September 1995 (GATT: 28 May 1950)
Niger 13 December 1996 (GATT: 31 December 1963)
Nigeria 1 January 1995 (GATT: 18 November 1960)
Norway 1 January 1995 (GATT: 10 July 1948)
Oman 9 November 2000
Pakistan 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 July 1948)
Panama 6 September 1997
Papua New Guinea 9 June 1996 (GATT: 16 December 1994)
Paraguay 1 January 1995 (GATT: 6 January 1994)
Peru 1 January 1995 (GATT: 7 October 1951)
Philippines 1 January 1995 (GATT: 27 December 1979)
Poland 1 July 1995 (GATT: 18 October 1967)
Portugal 1 January 1995 (GATT: 6 May 1962)
Qatar 13 January 1996 (GATT: 7 April 1994)
Romania 1 January 1995 (GATT: 14 November 1971)
Russian Federation 22 August 2012
Rwanda 22 May 1996 (GATT: 1 January 1966)
Saint Kitts and Nevis 21 February 1996 (GATT: 24 March 1994)
Saint Lucia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 13 April 1993)
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 1 January 1995 (GATT: 18 May 1993)
Samoa 10 May 2012
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of 11 December 2005
Senegal 1 January 1995 (GATT: 27 September 1963)
Seychelles 26 April 2015
Sierra Leone 23 July 1995 (GATT: 19 May 1961)
Singapore 1 January 1995 (GATT: 20 August 1973)
Slovak Republic 1 January 1995 (GATT: 15 April 1993)
Slovenia 30 July 1995 (GATT: 30 October 1994)
Solomon Islands 26 July 1996 (GATT: 28 December 1994)
South Africa 1 January 1995 (GATT: 13 June 1948)
Spain 1 January 1995 (GATT: 29 August 1963)
Sri Lanka 1 January 1995 (GATT: 29 July 1948)
Suriname 1 January 1995 (GATT: 22 March 1978)
Swaziland 1 January 1995 (GATT: 8 February 1993)
Sweden 1 January 1995 (GATT: 30 April 1950)
Switzerland 1 July 1995 (GATT: 1 August 1966)
Chinese Taipei 1 January 2002
Tajikistan 2 March 2013
Tanzania 1 January 1995 (GATT: 9 December 1961)
Thailand 1 January 1995 (GATT: 20 November 1982)
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 4 April 2003
Togo 31 May 1995 (GATT: 20 March 1964)
Tonga 27 July 2007
Trinidad and Tobago 1 March 1995 (GATT: 23 October 1962)
Tunisia 29 March 1995 (GATT: 29 August 1990)
Turkey 26 March 1995 (GATT: 17 October 1951)
Uganda 1 January 1995 (GATT: 23 October 1962)
Ukraine 16 May 2008
United Arab Emirates 10 April 1996 (GATT: 8 March 1994)
United Kingdom 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
United States of America 1 January 1995 (GATT: 1 January 1948)
Uruguay 1 January 1995 (GATT: 6 December 1953)
Vanuatu 24 August 2012
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 1 January 1995 (GATT: 31 August 1990)
Viet Nam 11 January 2007
Yemen 26 June 2014
Zambia 1 January 1995 (GATT: 10 February 1982)
Zimbabwe 5 March 1995 (GATT: 11 July 1948)

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Observer governments

Algeria
Andorra
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Belarus
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Comoros
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Holy See (Vatican)
Iran
Iraq
Lebanese Republic
Libya
Sao Tomé and Principe
Serbia
Somalia
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Timor-Leste
Uzbekistan

Note: With the exception of the Holy See, observers must start accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers.

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Comments

2 responses to “History of the World Trade Organization”

  1. international

    The WTO organization should identify and seek its comparative advantage in regulating international trade. Removing tariffs and ad- dressing regulatory, behind the border issues, call for a different types and modes of negotiations. I believe this. The bargaining process, taking place bilaterally and multilaterally in tariff negotiations historically shaped the modus operandi of the GATT and subsequently the WTO. I believe this. The idea of trade rounds is inherently linked to the tradition of tariff negotiations. Over time, it has adjusted to non-tariff barriers, and regulatory negotiations increasingly moved to the heart of trade rounds, addressing trade remedies (anti-dumping and subsidies), and technical barriers to trade, food standards, and intellectual property. Negotiations on services were scheduled to be held in traditional bargaining modes. It is here that we see the limits of traditional negotiations focus- sing on market access. I believe this. The future must adjust to modes which much more operate like legislation and a legislative process. I believe this. The WTO, in the future, will much more work as an international legislator in an on-going process, addressing different issues in different fora and projects. Future negotiations, considering GVC analysis, will work on a sectorial approach, combining goods, services, intellectual property, and competition issues.

    To conclude, the shift from trade liberalization to trade regulation is likely to result in continued preferential market access, and a return of behind the border measure negotiations to the WTO. I believe this. Trade rounds will be a matter of the past, once the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) has been settled in a decent way. I believe this. The Organization will adjust to normal, ongoing legislative modes which take up issues without packages. New and more flexible modes of decision-making will need to be found. I believe this. The WTO will see a mixture of single undertakings, combined with graduation, plurilateral agreements based upon critical mass, and perhaps a stronger emphasis of soft law. It will see stronger links with other international organizations. This is my point of view, at least. And finally, it will develop into what we may call a World Trade Court, having jurisdiction over preferential trade agreements beyond WTO law.

    Reply
  2. international

    The process a establishing World Trade Court, having jurisdiction over preferential trade agreements beyond WTO law, will take time. But we have learned to be calm, patient, but persistent. We should carefully observe, to build stone upon stone, to remain optimistic despite a world driven by power, vested interest, money bags and influence, and to strongly believe in the long-term effect of sound arguments. This is my point of view, at least. And foremost, we should believe in the multilateral system, being one of the most precious global public goods in the pursuit of peace, welfare, and legal coherence.

    Reply

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