Wto Accession

WTO Accession: Russia, Samoa, Montenegro, and Vanuatu in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): On December 16, 2011, trade representatives at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization adopted the terms and conditions for Russia's accession to the WTO and invited Russia to join the organization. For more information on the terms for Russia's accession, see (internet link) wto.org/english/news_e/news11_e/acc_rus_16dec11_e.htm. The United States strongly supported Russia's accession to the WTO. President Obama congratulated Russian President Dmitri Medvedev prior to the 8th Ministerial Conference when the negotiations on terms and conditions for accession were concluded on November 10, 2011, saying:

Developments

Since the beginning of my administration, and with increased intensity after President Medvedev and I met in Washington in June 2010, I have supported Russia's WTO accession. Russia's membership in the WTO will lower tariffs, improve international access to Russia's services markets, hold the Russian Government accountable to a system of rules governing trade behavior, and provide the means to enforce those rules.

Daily Comp. Pres Docs. 2011 DCPD No. 00848, p. 1.

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement released the same day as the action at the 8th Ministerial Conference: “Russia's accession is good for the United States, good for Russia, and good for the WTO. This marks an important turning point in making the WTO truly a 'world' trade organization.” December 16, 2011 USTR Press Release, available at (internet link) ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2011/december/us-trade-representative-kirk-welcomes-invitation. USTR also issued a fact sheet, excerpted below and available at (internet link) ustr.gov/webfm_send/3212, listing the benefits of Russia's accession.

The United States also welcomed the approval in 2011 of terms for accession by Samoa, Montenegro and Vanuatu. See December 17, 2011 USTR Press Release, available at (internet link) ustr.gov/united-states-welcomes-invitations-montenegro-samoa-join-world-trade-organization-0.

Details

This decision of the Ministerial Conference represents the substantive conclusion of 18 years of negotiations. Those negotiations have generated results that will liberalize Russia's market through a reduction in tariffs for imports of goods and agreed terms for access to Russia's market for services. In addition, and of critical importance, the terms of Russia's WTO accession spell out the way in which Russia will apply and implement all elements of the WTO “rule book,” including in areas of critical importance to U.S. exporters and workers.

Key benefits arising from Russia's membership in the WTO include:

• A Stronger Mechanism for U.S.-Russia Trade Relations: Russia is the largest nation to remain outside the WTO, and its WTO membership will link Russia to the same set of rules that apply to 153 other Members. This will afford U.S. trade policymakers with a new and critical set of tools to ensure fair and rules-based treatment of U.S. exports.

• Reduced Russian Tariffs on Key U.S. Exports : As part of its WTO accession Russia will bind its tariffs on all products. In addition to joining the Information Technology Agreement, Russia is making meaningful commitments to cut tariffs in important export sectors such as chemicals, civil aircraft, agriculture equipment, construction equipment, and medical equipment, as well as dairy, grains, oilseeds, horticultural products, wine, and meat.

• More Liberal Russian Treatment for U.S. Services Exports: Russia is undertaking enforceable market access commitments covering services sectors that are priorities for the United States, including audio-visual, telecommunications, financial services (including insurance, banking and securities), energy services, computer services and retail services.

• Firm Commitments for the Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights: In joining the WTO, Russia will implement with immediate and enforceable effect all provisions of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs Agreement). Due to U.S. engagement with Russia over recent years, Russia has already amended its domestic laws to comply with the TRIPs Agreement. As a WTO Member, Russia will be required to enforce those laws in compliance with relevant WTO provisions.

• Enforceable Disciplines to Ensure Rules-Based Treatment of U.S. Agricultural Exports: The terms of Russia's accession contain extensive commitments ensuring Russia's compliance with WTO rules on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, providing U.S. exporters of meat and other agricultural products with an enforceable set of disciplines against trade restrictions that are not science-based. As part of joining the WTO, Russia and its Customs Union partners Kazakhstan and Belarus have developed an entirely new and WTO-consistent legal framework to ensure consistency with WTO SPS rules. Russia will be applying these rules from “day one” of its WTO membership.

• Improved Transparency in Trade-Related Rule-Making: Russia's WTO accession package contains important disciplines governing transparency in the development of trade policies and measures, including publication of draft rules and opportunities for public comments on those rules prior to their adoption.

WTO Accession: Russia, Samoa, Montenegro, and Vanuatu

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. Note: there is detailed information and resources, in relation with these topics during the year 2011, covered by the entry, in this law Encyclopedia, about Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Implementation

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See Also

• Trade
• Commercial Relations
• Investment
• Transportation
• World Trade Organization
• Wto
• Russia
• Samoa
• Montenegro
• Vanuatu