Typical misconceptions regarding the WTO. World Trade Organization (WTO) Explanation of the word WTO

Worldwide trade Organization(WTO) was founded in 1995. It is the continuation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947.

The WTO is both an organization and a set of legal documents that define the rights and responsibilities of governments in the field of international trade in goods and services.

The legal basis of the WTO consists of:

1. General Agreement on Trade in Goods (GATT) as amended in 1994.

2. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

3. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Main tasks of the WTO - liberalization of international trade, ensuring its fairness and predictability, creating a favorable environment for economic growth and improving the economic well-being of people.

The highest governing body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference. It is convened at least once every two years, usually at the level of ministers of trade or foreign affairs of WTO member countries. The conference has the authority to make decisions on the most fundamental issues relating to new rounds of multilateral negotiations.

The current management of activities and monitoring of the agreement and ministerial decisions is carried out by the General Council. It meets several times a year in Geneva. The General Council usually includes ambassadors and heads of representative offices of WTO members. The functions of the General Council also include resolving trade disputes between WTO member countries and conducting periodic reviews of their trade policies.

The General Council controls the activities subordinate bodies:

the Council for Trade in Goods, which oversees implementation of the GATT;

the Council for Trade in Services, which oversees implementation of the GATS;

Intellectual Property Council, which oversees the implementation of TRIPS.

In addition to the above bodies, the WTO includes workers and expert groups and specialized committees. Their functions are to consider the implementation of individual parts multilateral agreements, as well as other issues of interest to participating countries, for example, regarding competition rules, investment, the operation of regional trade agreements, trade aspects of protection environment and accepting new members.

Currently, 145 countries are members of the WTO, about 30 are observers. Observers are mainly countries that are negotiating accession to the WTO and intend to join this organization in the next five years.

The World Trade Organization has the following character traits:

1. The WTO is, first and foremost, an organization created to ensure freer international trade. WTO actions are aimed at eliminating trade barriers between countries.

2. The WTO is not any supreme body whose decisions are binding on the governments of all member countries of this organization.

3. WTO member countries agree among themselves on issues of international trade, but in compliance with WTO rules.

4. WTO membership does not prohibit the establishment of customs duties on certain types of goods. However, the usual amount of such duties does not exceed an average of 5-7%.

5. The WTO is a democratic organization where decisions are made on the basis of consensus and only in exceptional cases (and such were only in GATT practice) - by majority vote.

6. All WTO member countries are equal to each other, regardless of their size and level economic development.

7. The WTO agreements contain provisions that allow governments of participating countries to take measures to protect the environment, to protect the life and health of people, animals and plants.

Problems of Russia's accession to the WTO

When joining the WTO, according to the rules of this organization, Russia is obliged to agree on its membership in this international organization with all participating countries. Therefore, the process of Russia's accession to the WTO is quite long and may take some more time.

The main problem of Russia's accession to the WTO is, first of all, the removal of restrictions on the supply of goods from abroad, in a sense, restrictions on competition from foreign companies. This will lead to the fact that domestic manufacturers may not be able to compete on equal terms with both very high-quality Western products and very cheap Chinese ones. Another thing is that this process will occur gradually (that is why such long negotiations are underway), and our enterprises will have time to adapt to new conditions.

Therefore, experts believe that, despite increased competition from foreign manufacturers when Russia joins the WTO, the impact of this event on domestic industry will not be very significant or catastrophic, although each enterprise will have to take care of itself and improve the efficiency of its own work.

The leaders of the Russian Federation and the United States consider Russia's membership in the WTO realistic by the end of the year

Russian President Dmitry Medvedeva and US President Barack Obama discussed in detail in a telephone conversation the situation in the negotiation process on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, the Kremlin press service reported. In accordance with the agreement reached during the previous telephone conversation on July 11, the heads of state discussed in detail the situation in the negotiation process on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.

“It was noted with satisfaction that the impulses given by both sides contributed to the achievement of significant progress in the negotiations. In this regard, it was emphasized that the solution to the priority task - ensuring Russia’s membership in the WTO by the end of this year - seems quite realistic. The leaders of the two countries exchanged views on further steps to stimulate and coordinate work in this direction,” the statement says.

Russia has been negotiating accession to the WTO for the past 17 years. The WTO is an international organization created with the aim of liberalizing international trade and regulating trade and political relations of member states. The Russian economy is the only leading economy in the world that is not part of the organization, to join which the consent of all its 153 members is required. Typically, negotiations and the procedure for joining an organization take five to seven years.

Head of the Russian negotiating delegation, director of the department trade negotiations The Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Medvedkov reported at the end of July that negotiations on Russia’s accession to the WTO, as evidenced by the chairman’s preliminary plan working group Stefan Johanneson, may be completed by the meeting of the WTO General Council on December 14-16.

After completion of the negotiations, the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO will have to prepare all the documents, check them with all members of the organization and present this package of documents along with a recommendation for acceptance to the general council of this organization. Then, according to Medvedkov, the General Council, which meets approximately once every two months, must approve these documents and admit Russia to the organization. After this, all documents will be submitted for ratification to the Russian parliament, which usually takes three to five months, and 30 days after the ratification documents are signed by the president, Russia will become a member of the WTO. Earlier, Medvedkov noted that the State Duma could ratify all WTO documents faster - in one to two months.

The next consultations are scheduled for mid-September, and the final meeting of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO is scheduled to take place in November.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995. It is the continuation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded immediately after World War II.

In 1998, the golden anniversary of the GATT was celebrated in Geneva. This system is designed to regulate world trade through a mechanism to restrain unilateral actions, existed for almost 50 years and proved its effectiveness as a legal basis for multilateral trade. The years following World War II were marked by exceptional growth in world trade. The growth of goods exports averaged 6% per year. Total trade volume in 1997 was 14 times the 1950 level.

The system developed during the process of conducting a series of trade negotiations (rounds) within the GATT framework. The early rounds focused primarily on tariff reductions, but later negotiations expanded to other areas such as anti-dumping and non-tariff measures. The last round – 1986-1994, so-called. The Uruguay Round led to the creation of the WTO, which significantly expanded the scope of the GATT to include trade in services and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.

Thus, the GATT mechanism was improved and adapted to modern stage trade development. In addition, the GATT system, in fact being international organization, was not formally such.

WTO structure

The WTO is both an organization and at the same time a set of legal documents, a kind of multilateral trade agreement that defines the rights and responsibilities of governments in the field of international trade in goods and services. The legal basis of the WTO is the General Agreement on Trade in Goods (GATT) as amended in 1994 (GATT 1994), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The WTO agreements have been ratified by the parliaments of all participating countries.

“The main tasks of the WTO are to liberalize international trade, ensure its fairness and predictability, promote economic growth and improve the economic well-being of people. WTO member countries, of which there were 148 as of May 2005, solve these problems by monitoring the implementation of multilateral agreements, conducting trade negotiations, trade settlements in accordance with the WTO mechanism, as well as providing assistance to developing countries and reviewing the national economic policies of states."

Decisions are made by all member states usually by consensus, which is an additional incentive to strengthen harmony within the WTO. Making a decision by a majority vote is also possible, but such practice has not yet existed in the WTO; During the work of the predecessor of the WTO, GATT, such isolated cases occurred.

Solutions for top level The WTO is hosted by the Ministerial Conference, which meets at least once every two years. The first conference in Singapore in December 1996 confirmed the course of the participating countries towards trade liberalization and added to the existing organizational structure The WTO has three new working groups focusing on the relationship between trade and investment, the interface between trade and competition policy, and transparency in government procurement. The second conference, held in 1998 in Geneva, was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the GATT\WTO; In addition, WTO members agreed to study global e-commerce issues. The third conference, which was convened in December 1999 in Seattle (USA) and was supposed to decide on the start of a new round of trade negotiations, ended with virtually no results. The next Ministerial Conference is scheduled to take place in November 2001 in Doha (Qatar).

Subordinate to the Ministerial Conference is the General Council, which is responsible for carrying out day-to-day work and meets several times a year at the headquarters in Geneva, composed of representatives of WTO members, usually ambassadors and heads of delegations of member countries. The General Council also has two special bodies: for the analysis of trade policy and for the resolution of disputes. In addition, the Trade and Development Committees report to the General Council; on restrictions related to the trade balance; on budget, finance and administrative issues.

The General Council delegates functions to three councils at the next level of the WTO hierarchy: the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in Services and the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

The Council for Trade in Goods, in turn, manages the activities of specialized committees that monitor compliance with WTO principles and the implementation of GATT 1994 agreements in the field of trade in goods.

The Council for Trade in Services monitors the implementation of the GATS agreement. It includes the Committee on Trade in Financial Services and the Working Group on Professional Services.

The Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, in addition to monitoring the implementation of the relevant agreement (TRIPS), also deals with issues of preventing the emergence of conflicts related to the international trade in counterfeit goods.

Numerous specialized committees and working groups deal with individual WTO agreements and issues in areas such as environmental protection, developing country issues, WTO accession procedures and regional trade agreements.

The WTO Secretariat, which is based in Geneva, has approximately 500 full-time staff; it is headed by the general director. The WTO Secretariat, unlike similar bodies of other international organizations, does not make decisions, since this function is assigned to the member countries themselves. The main responsibilities of the Secretariat are to provide technical support various councils and committees, as well as the Ministerial Conference, provide technical assistance to developing countries, analyze global trade and explain WTO provisions to the public and mass media. The Secretariat also provides some forms of legal assistance in the dispute resolution process and advises governments of countries wishing to become members of the WTO. Today there are more than twenty such countries.

Basic agreements and principles of the WTO

WTO member countries interact within a non-discriminatory trading system, where each country is guaranteed fair and consistent treatment of its exports in other countries' markets, while committing to provide the same conditions for imports into its own market. Developing countries are provided with relatively greater flexibility and freedom of action in fulfilling their obligations.

The basic rules and principles of the WTO are reflected in multilateral trade agreements, which cover trade in goods and services, as well as trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, dispute resolution and the trade policy review mechanism.

Goods. The core principles of the WTO were first formulated in the GATT of 1947. From 1947 to 1994, GATT provided a forum for negotiations to reduce customs duties and other trade barriers; the text of the General Agreement stipulated important rules, in particular, non-discrimination. Subsequently, as a result of the Uruguay Round negotiations (1986-1994), the basic principles were expanded and developed and clarified in other agreements. Thus, new rules were created on trade in services, on important aspects of intellectual property, on dispute resolution and trade policy reviews.

The GATT, as amended in 1994, is now the main set of WTO rules for trade in goods. It is complemented by agreements covering specific sectors such as agriculture and textiles, as well as specific topics, e.g. state trade, standards for various products, subsidies and actions taken against dumping.

The two fundamental principles of GATT are non-discrimination and market access.

The principle of non-discrimination is implemented through the application of most favored nation (MFN) treatment, in which a country provides equal terms of trade for all WTO participants, and national treatment, in which imported goods cannot be discriminated against in the domestic market.

Market access is ensured, in addition to the application of MFN and national treatment, also through the abolition of quantitative restrictions on imports in favor of customs tariffs that are more effective means regulation of trade turnover, as well as openness and transparency in matters of trade regimes of participating countries.

Services. The principles of freer export and import of services, regardless of the mode of their supply, be it cross-border trade, consumption of services abroad, commercial presence or presence of individuals, were documented for the first time in the new General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). However, due to the specific nature of trade in services, most favored nation and national treatment are applied here with significant exceptions, which are individual for each country. Similarly, the abolition of quantitative quotas is selective; decisions about it are made during negotiations.

WTO members make individual commitments under the GATS in which they state which service sectors and to what extent they are willing to open to foreign competition.

Intellectual property. The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is a set of rules on trade and investment in ideas and creative activity, which stipulate how intellectual property should be protected in the process of trading transactions. “Intellectual property” means copyrights, trademarks, geographical names, used for product names, industrial designs (designs), integrated circuit layouts and undisclosed information, such as trade secrets.

Dispute resolution. The Agreement on Rules and Procedures Governing Dispute Resolution provides for a system in which countries can resolve their differences through consultation. If this fails, they can follow a well-defined step-by-step procedure that allows for issues to be decided by a panel of experts and provides the opportunity to appeal those decisions with appropriate legal justification. Confidence in this system is evidenced by the number of disputes that were brought to the WTO: 167 cases by March 1999, compared to 300 cases that were considered during the entire period of the GATT's existence (1947-94).

Policy review. The purpose of the trade policy review mechanism is to enhance transparency, explain the trade policies of certain countries, and assess the consequences of their implementation. The policies of all WTO member countries are subject to regular “review”; Each review contains reports from the relevant country and the WTO Secretariat. Since 1995, the policies of 45 member countries have been reviewed.

Advantages of the WTO trading system

The advantages of the WTO system are proven not only by the fact that almost all major trading nations are now its members. In addition to the purely economic benefits that are achieved by reducing barriers to the free exchange of goods, this system has a positive effect on the political and social situation in the member countries, as well as on the individual well-being of citizens. The benefits of the WTO trading system are manifested at all levels - the individual citizen, the country and the world community as a whole.

Benefits of the WTO for consumers

Lower cost of living. The most obvious benefit of free trade to the consumer is the lower cost of living due to the reduction of protectionist trade barriers. Over the 50 years of the organization’s existence, eight rounds of negotiations have been held, and this moment trade barriers around the world are lower than they have ever been in the history of modern trade.

As a result of lowering trade barriers, not only finished imported goods and services become cheaper, but also domestic products, the production of which uses imported components.

Import tariffs, government production subsidies (for example, in agriculture) and quantitative restrictions on imports (for example, in textile trade) ultimately lead not to the desired results of protecting the domestic market, but to increasing the cost of living. Thus, according to statistical calculations, consumers in the UK pay 500 million pounds a year more for clothing due to trade restrictions on textile imports; for Canadians, this amount is approximately C$780 million. The situation is similar in the services sector: liberalization of the telecommunications sector in the European Union has led to price reductions of 7-10 percent on average.

The WTO system encourages competition and lowers trade barriers, resulting in benefits for consumers. Thus, the major reform of trade in textiles and clothing under the WTO, which will be completed in 2005, includes the removal of restrictions on the volume of imports.

Wider selection of goods and services.

A wider choice of goods and services is also an undoubted advantage of a free trading system for the consumer. In addition to finished foreign products, we are also talking about domestic goods and services, the range of which is expanding due to lower prices for imported materials, components and equipment. Import competition stimulates the most efficient domestic production and, therefore, indirectly reduces prices and improves the quality of products.

In addition, as a result of more active trade, new technologies are being developed, as happened, for example, with mobile communications.

Increasing the export of domestic products also increases the income of producers, tax revenues to the treasury and, consequently, the income and well-being of the population as a whole.

Benefits of the WTO for the country's economy as a whole

Economic benefits.

Increasing income.

It is impossible to draw a clear line between the effects of free trade on consumers, producers and the government. Thus, lowering trade barriers contributes to increased trade, which leads to an increase in both government and personal income. Empirical evidence suggests that after the Uruguay Round, as a result of the transition to new system trade transactions, global income increased from $109 billion to $510 billion. The single market across the European Union has also contributed to increased incomes and prosperity.

Increasing government revenue through the activities of successful exporters allows the additional resources generated to be reallocated and help other companies facing foreign competition to increase productivity, expand the scale of production, improve their competitiveness, or switch to new activities.

Increased employment.

The development of trade leads in the long term to increased employment, especially in the export sectors of the economy. However, in the short term, job losses as a result of competition between domestic enterprises and imported manufacturers are almost inevitable.

Protectionism cannot solve this problem. On the contrary, an increase in trade barriers causes a decrease in the efficiency of production and the quality of domestic products, which, when imports are limited, leads to higher prices and a negative impact on sales volumes, and ultimately on the number of jobs. A similar situation arose, for example, in the United States in the 1980s, when strict restrictions were introduced on the import of Japanese cars. Conversely, EU market liberalization has created at least 300 thousand new jobs in the Community countries. US export industries employ at least 12 million workers; In the Russian metallurgy industry, out of about 1 million employees, 600 thousand also work for export.

The judicious use of protective measures and an effective scheme for the redistribution of additional government revenue can help the country overcome the difficulties of the period of adaptation to a free trade system.

Increasing the efficiency of foreign economic activity.

The application of WTO principles makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the state’s foreign economic activity by, first of all, simplifying the system of customs duties and other trade barriers. As a result, predictability and transparency of the economy attract partners and increase trade turnover. Non-discrimination, transparency, greater trade certainty and facilitation all contribute to lowering company costs, optimizing their operations and creating a favorable climate for trade and investment.

In turn, the influx of capital into the country, in particular in the form of foreign direct investment, creates additional jobs and improves the well-being of the population as a whole.

Political benefits.

In addition to the economic benefits from freer foreign trade, the state also receives certain political benefits.

Lobbying protection.

The government is more able to protect itself from lobbying groups because trade policy is implemented in the interests of the economy as a whole.

The government's policy of protectionism for certain industries implies a certain political influence of representatives of these areas of production. In the early decades of the 20th century, increasing trade restrictive policies led to a trade war with no winners, as such restrictions ultimately hurt even sectors that needed to be protected, slowing economic growth and reducing overall welfare.

Joining the WTO system helps to avoid such situations, since the policy pursued by the state is focused on the development of all sectors of the economy, and not its individual parts, which helps to avoid distortions of the competitive environment.

Fight against corruption.

A free trade system also creates the preconditions for making sound political decisions, fighting corruption and introducing positive changes in the legal system, which ultimately contributes to the influx of investment into the country. The use of some forms of non-tariff restrictions, for example, import quotas, is inevitably associated with the danger of corruption among officials distributing these quotas and, consequently, the receipt of excess profits by importing companies - the so-called. “quota rent”. Currently, the WTO is working to reduce and eliminate many of the still existing quotas, especially on textiles.

Transparency and publicity, i.e. ensuring that all information on trading rules is accessible to the public; clearer criteria for regulations covering safety issues and product standards; The application of the principle of non-discrimination also has a positive impact on the political environment, reducing the possibility of arbitrary decision-making and deception.

Benefits of the WTO system for relations between countries

Ensuring equal chances for all participants.

The WTO system levels the playing field for all members by giving voting rights to smaller countries, thereby limiting the economic dictates of larger countries that would be inevitable in bilateral negotiations. Moreover, by joining together in alliances, small countries are able to achieve greater success in negotiations. At the same time, large member states are freed from the need to negotiate trade agreements with each of their many trading partners, since, according to the principle of non-discrimination, the levels of commitments reached during negotiations automatically apply to all WTO participants.

Effective dispute resolution mechanism.

The WTO system provides an effective mechanism for resolving trade disputes that, if left to their own devices, could lead to serious conflict. Before World War II, this opportunity did not exist. After the war, trading countries negotiated trade rules that are now in effect within the WTO. These include obligations to bring their disputes to the WTO and not to resort to unilateral actions.

Each dispute brought to the WTO is considered primarily from the point of view of existing rules and regulations. Once a decision is made, countries focus their efforts on its implementation, and possibly subsequent revision of the rules and regulations through negotiations. Since the establishment of the WTO in 1995, approximately 200 disputes have been brought before it. The WTO agreements provide the legal basis for a clear decision.

The increasing number of disputes brought to the WTO does not indicate increasing tensions in the world, but rather the strengthening of economic ties and the increasing confidence of countries in this system of dispute resolution.

Strengthening international stability.

The WTO trading system facilitates the smooth flow of trade and provides countries with a constructive and fair mechanism for resolving trade disputes, thereby creating and strengthening international stability and cooperation.

A striking example of the influence of trade on international security is the trade war of the 1930s, when countries competed to erect protectionist trade barriers. This exacerbated the Great Depression and ultimately played a role in the outbreak of World War II.

A repeat of pre-war trade tensions after World War II in Europe was avoided through development international cooperation on trade in coal and ferrous metals within the framework of the European Coal and Steel Community, which served as the basis for the future creation of the European Union. Globally, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established and became the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995.

The system has proven its viability, because political conflict between countries with established stable trade relations is less likely. In addition, people who are more prosperous and prosperous are less prone to conflict.

The GATT/WTO system, in which agreements are negotiated by consensus and the rules of the agreements are strictly enforced, is also an important confidence-building tool. When the government is confident that other countries will not raise their trade barriers, it is not tempted to do the same. Nations will also be much more willing to cooperate with each other, avoiding situations like the trade war of the 1930s.

A union of participating countries interested in liberalizing international trade, eliminating market barriers, and creating a favorable trade and political climate.

The WTO was established in 1995 and is the successor to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, founded in 1947. The World Trade Organization pursues the goal of liberalizing world trade, regulating it using tariff methods by reducing existing barriers, restrictions, and import duties.

The WTO monitors the implementation of trade agreements between members of the organization, ensures negotiations between them, resolves disputes, and monitors the situation on the international market. The WTO head office is based in Geneva and employs more than 630 people.

Today, 164 countries are members of the WTO, 161 of them are recognized states. Russia joined the World Trade Organization on August 22, 2012, becoming the 156th member. Previously, other countries of the post-Soviet space were included in the list of participants - Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Armenia, Ukraine.

Principles and rules

The goal of the creation and functioning of the World Trade Organization is free trade at the international level. The work of the WTO is guided by the following principles:

• All participating countries have the same rights. Preferences established for one WTO member apply to other members;
• the activities of participants are transparent, countries must prepare and print reports to familiarize other WTO members with the rules they have established;
• Participants must comply with trade tariff obligations established by the organization, not those developed independently.

The WTO Agreement allows members of the organization to take measures aimed at preserving the animal and flora, protection of health and the environment. When establishing trade restrictions, the disadvantaged party may insist on commensurate compensation in another sector of the economy, for example, on special concessions.

Structure

The WTO has a ramified structure, determined by a number of problems that require solutions in the international market:

• The Ministerial Conference is the highest body of the association, convened at least once every 2 years.
• The General Council of the WTO plays a leadership role and controls the work of other departments.
• The GATT Council determines the relationships between participants in the field of trade in goods.
• Trade Services Council.
• Council on legal issues and protection of individual property.
• Dispute Resolution Body - Provides fair and impartial resolution of conflicts at the international level.

The WTO includes representative bodies of countries with developing economies, a committee on fiscal policy and information, which are subordinate to the General Council.

The WTO is an international institution that acts as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The latter was signed back in 1947. It was supposed to be temporary and would soon be replaced by a full-fledged organization. However, GATT was the main agreement regulating foreign trade for almost 50 years. The USSR wanted to join him, but he was not allowed to do so, so National history interaction with this structure begins only from the moment Russia joined the WTO. Today’s article is devoted to this issue. It will also analyze the consequences of Russia joining the WTO, the pros and cons of this decision. We will consider the process, conditions and goals of joining the World Trade Organization, difficult issues for the Russian Federation.

Has Russia joined the WTO?

The Russian Federation is the legal successor of the USSR. If we are talking about when Russia joined the WTO, then it is important to understand that this institution began to function only in 1995. The new organization began to control a much wider range of issues. The USSR submitted a formal application for observer status during the Uruguay Round in 1986 with a view to further joining the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. However, the US rejected it. The reason was the USSR, which was not compatible with the concept of free trade. Soviet Union received observer status in 1990. After gaining independence, Russia immediately applied to join the GATT. The General Agreement was soon transformed into a full-fledged organization. However, the direct entry of the Russian Federation into the GATT/WTO system took almost 20 years. Too many issues required approval.

WTO accession process

Russia, as an independent state, began joining the World Trade Organization in 1993. Since that time, a comparison of the country's trade and political regime with WTO standards began. Bilateral negotiations then began, with Russia making its initial proposals on the level of support Agriculture and market access. These two issues formed the basis of the negotiations until the ratification of the agreements in 2012. In 2006, within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Forum, Russia and the United States signed a protocol for Russia’s accession to the WTO. However, the global financial crisis began, and negotiations on further stages of obtaining membership in the organization were postponed. The conflict with Georgia over Abkhazia and South Ossetia also played a role. The agreement with this country was the last stage on the path to Russia’s accession to the WTO. It was signed in 2011 in Switzerland.

Customs Union

When considering the question of when Russia joined the WTO, it is important to understand that since January 2010, the Russian Federation wanted to participate in the accession process as part of the Customs Union. Vladimir Putin made a statement about this at a meeting of the EurAsEC Council in June 2009. The Customs Union includes, in addition to Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. It was formed back in October 2007. Not only countries, but also integration associations can be members of the WTO. However, the leadership of the World Trade Organization immediately warned the Russian authorities that such a requirement would significantly delay the process of obtaining membership. Already in October 2009, Russia expressed a statement about the advisability of resuming bilateral negotiations. Kazakhstan joined the World Trade Organization in 2015, but Belarus is still not a member of this international institution.

When Russia joined the WTO: date, year

The resumption of bilateral negotiations has significantly simplified the process of joining the World Trade Organization for the Russian Federation. By December 2010, all problematic issues had been resolved. A corresponding memorandum was signed at the Brussels summit. August 22, 2012 is the date when Russia joined the WTO. The date was marked by the ratification of the Protocol on Accession of the Russian Federation, signed on December 16, 2011, and the entry into force of the corresponding legal act.

Conditions of entry

The procedure for joining the WTO is quite complicated. It consists of several stages and takes at least 5-7 years. First, the state applies for membership. After this, the country’s trade and political regime is considered at the level of special working groups. At the second stage, negotiations and consultations take place on the terms of the applicant’s membership in the WTO. Any interested country can join them. First of all, the negotiations concern access to state markets and the timing of introducing changes. The terms of accession are documented in the following documents:

• Report of the working group. It sets out the entire list of rights and obligations that the country has assumed.
• List of tariff concessions in the commodity area and permitted opportunities for subsidizing the agricultural sector.
• List of specific obligations in the service sector.
• List of exceptions from most favored nation treatment.
• Legal agreements at the bilateral and multilateral level.
• Protocol of accession.

At the last stage, the package of documents that was agreed upon within the framework of special working groups is ratified. After this, it becomes part of the national legislation of the applicant state, and the candidate country becomes a member of the World Trade Organization.

Goals and objectives

When Russia joined the WTO in 2012, it did so as part of its economic development strategy. Today, the state cannot build an effective national economy without being a member of this organization. Russia pursued the following goals in its accession to the WTO:

• Obtaining greater access to foreign markets for domestic products through the use that is declared by this organization.
• Creation of favorable conditions by bringing national legislation into line with international standards.
• Increasing the competitiveness of domestic goods.
• Expanding opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs and investors abroad.
• Obtaining the opportunity to influence the formation of international legislation in the field of trade, taking into account one’s own national interests.
• Improving the country's image in the eyes of the world community.

Such lengthy negotiations on accession are evidence of the desire to achieve the most favorable conditions for membership for Russia.

Tariff changes

One of the main obstacles to Russia's membership in the WTO was the coordination of policies for access to its market for foreign goods. The weighted average import tariff was reduced. On the contrary, the quota for foreign participation in the insurance sector was increased. Once passed, import duties on household appliances, medicines and medical equipment will be reduced. As part of accession to the WTO, 57 bilateral agreements were concluded on access to the domestic goods market and 30 on services.

Agricultural issues

In addition to discussing tariff concessions, the protection of Russia's agricultural sector occupied an important place in the negotiations. The Russian Federation sought to reduce the number of subsidies subject to reduction. for agricultural products the rate was 11.275% instead of 15.178%. For certain product groups there was a sharp decline of 10-15%. After Russia joined the WTO in the year when the global financial crisis began to subside, the domestic agricultural sector faced much greater competition in the domestic and foreign markets.

Consequences for the Russian Federation

Today, there are many monographs and articles devoted to assessing Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization. Most experts note the positive impact of this process on the country's economy. So in what year did Russia join the WTO? In 2012. What changed? The merger took 18 years of hard work. This process took much longer than expected. Therefore, a positive effect can only appear in the distant future. As most experts predicted, in the short term there are far more losses due to WTO membership than real gains. However, the strategic advantages are worth some tactical defeats. Thus, joining the WTO is certainly a positive step, without which further development of the country would be impossible.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Membership

After Russia joined the WTO in 2012, legal scholars and economists never tire of publishing new articles analyzing the prospects and problems associated with this event. Three opinions can be roughly distinguished:

1. Neutral. For example, Professor Alexander Portansky believes that joining the WTO brings neither benefit nor harm.
2. Critical. The analyst notes that joining the WTO does not give Russia any obvious advantages in the short term. However, this event is beneficial for other members of the organization. Kozlov does not consider long-term prospects for Russia.
3. Negative. Head economist Russian branch Deutsche Bank Yaroslav Lisovik believes that joining the WTO could have a negative impact on the country's economy, especially on the manufacturing industry, due to a reduction in import duties.

However, most experts agree that all the benefits for Russia from membership in the World Trade Organization will manifest themselves subject to competent internal and foreign policy only in the long term.

The World Trade Organization (WTO; English World Trade Organization (WTO), French Organization mondiale du commerce (OMC), Spanish Organización Mundial del Comercio) is an international organization created on January 1, 1995 with the aim of liberalizing international trade and regulating trade -political relations of member states. The WTO was formed on the basis of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947 and for almost 50 years, which actually performed the functions of an international organization, but was not, however, an international organization in the legal sense.

The WTO is responsible for introducing new details, and also ensures that members of the organization comply with all agreements signed by most countries of the world and ratified by their parliaments. The WTO builds its activities based on decisions taken in 1986-1994. under the Uruguay Round and earlier GATT agreements.

Discussing problems and making decisions on global problems liberalization and prospects for the further development of world trade take place within the framework of multilateral trade negotiations (rounds). To date, 8 rounds of such negotiations have been held, including Uruguay, and in 2001 the ninth started in Doha, Qatar. The organization is trying to complete negotiations on the Doha Round, which was launched with a clear focus on meeting the needs of developing countries.

The World Trade Organization (WTO), created in 1995, replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as the only international body, which deals with global rules of trade between states. She is not specialized institution, but it has mechanisms and practices of cooperation with the United Nations.

The objectives of the WTO are to help streamline trade within a rules-based system; objective settlement of trade disputes between governments; organizing trade negotiations. These activities are based on 60 WTO agreements - the basic legal norms of international commerce and trade policy.

The principles on which these agreements are based include non-discrimination (most favored nation treatment and national treatment clause), freer terms of trade, promotion of competition and additional provisions for least developed countries. One of the goals of the WTO is to combat protectionism. The task of the WTO is not to achieve any goals or results, but to establish general principles international trade.

According to the declaration, the work of the WTO, like the GATT before it, is based on basic principles, including:

Equal rights. All WTO members are required to provide most favored nation (MFN) trade treatment to all other members. The MFN principle means that preferences granted to one of the WTO members automatically apply to all other members of the organization in any case.

Reciprocity. All concessions in easing bilateral trade restrictions must be reciprocal, eliminating the “free-rider problem.”

Transparency. WTO members must publish their trade rules in full and have authorities responsible for providing information to other WTO members.

Creating ongoing obligations. Countries' trade tariff obligations are regulated primarily by WTO bodies rather than by relationships between countries. And if the terms of trade in a country in a particular sector deteriorate, the aggrieved party may seek compensation in other sectors.

Safety valves. In some cases, the government is able to impose trade restrictions. The WTO Agreement allows members to take action not only to protect the environment, but also to support public health, animal and plant health.

There are three types of activities in this direction:

Articles allowing the use of trade measures to achieve non-economic objectives;

Articles aimed at ensuring “fair competition”;. Members should not use environmental protection as a means to disguise protectionist policies;

Provisions allowing interference with trade for economic reasons.

Exceptions to the MFN principle also include developing and least developed countries that have preferential treatment in the WTO, regional free trade areas and customs unions.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was created as a result of years of negotiations as part of the Uruguay Round, which ended in December 1993.

The WTO was officially established at a conference in Marrakesh in April 1994 by the Agreement Establishing the WTO, also known as the Marrakesh Agreement.

In addition to the main text, the document contains 4 appendices:

Appendix 1A:

Multilateral agreements on trade in goods:

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1994, which defines the basis of the trade regime in goods, the rights and obligations of WTO members in this area.

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1947, which defines the basis of the trade regime in goods, the rights and obligations of WTO members in this area.

Agreement on Agriculture, which defines the specifics of regulating trade in agricultural goods and mechanisms for applying measures of state support for production and trade in this sector.

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which defines the specifics of regulating trade in textiles and clothing.

Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards, which defines the conditions for the application of sanitary and phytosanitary control measures.

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, which defines the conditions for the application of standards, technical regulations, and certification procedures.

Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, which prohibits the use of a limited range of trade policies that may affect foreign investment and would be considered contrary to GATT Article III (National Treatment) and Article XI (Prohibition of Quantitative Restrictions).

Agreement on the Application of Article VII of GATT 1994 (Customs Valuation of Goods), which defines the rules for assessing the customs value of goods.

Pre-Shipment Inspection Agreement, which defines the conditions for pre-shipment inspections.

Agreement on rules of origin, which defines rules of origin as the set of laws, regulations and rules for determining the country of origin of goods.

Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, which establishes import licensing procedures and forms.

Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, which defines the conditions and procedures for the application of subsidies and measures aimed at combating subsidies.

Agreement on the application of Article VI of GATT 1994 (anti-dumping), which defines the conditions and procedures for the application of measures to combat dumping.

Agreement on Safeguard Measures, which defines the conditions and procedures for applying measures to counter growing imports.

Appendix 1B:

The General Agreement on Trade in Services, which defines the basis of the regime for trade in services, the rights and obligations of WTO members in this area.

Appendix 1C:

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which defines the rights and obligations of WTO members in the area of ​​intellectual property protection.

Appendix 2:

An understanding regarding the rules and procedures for dispute resolution, which sets out the terms and procedures for resolving disputes between WTO members in connection with their performance of obligations under all WTO agreements.

Appendix 3:

Trade Policy Review Mechanism, which defines the terms and general parameters of trade policy reviews of WTO members.

Appendix 4:

Non-binding multilateral trade agreements for all WTO members:

Agreement on Trade in Civil Aviation Equipment, which defines the parties' obligations to liberalize trade in this sector.

Agreement on Government Procurement, which establishes procedures for the admission of foreign companies to national procurement systems for government needs.

The WTO headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

Organizational structure of the WTO.

The official supreme body of the organization is the WTO Ministerial Conference, which meets at least once every two years. During the existence of the WTO, eight such conferences were held, almost each of which was accompanied by active protests from opponents of globalization.

The Ministerial Conference is the highest body of the WTO, consisting of representatives of member states. Meetings of the Ministerial Conference are held in accordance with Article 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization of April 15, 1994, every two years or more often.

To date, 9 conferences have been held:

1. First conference - Singapore (December 1996). 4 working groups were created - on government transparency. procurement; trade promotion (customs), trade and investment; trade and competition. These groups are also known as Singapore issues;

2. Second Conference - Geneva (May 1998);

3. Third conference - Seattle (November 1999). A week before the conference, there was no agreement on the list of issues to be discussed, and growing differences between developed and developing countries (agriculture) were also evident. The conference was supposed to be the start of a new round of negotiations, but plans were thwarted by poor organization and street protests. Negotiations broke down and were moved to Doha (2001);

4. Fourth Conference - Doha (November 2001). China's accession to the WTO was approved;

5. Fifth Conference - Cancun (September 2003). 20 developing countries, led by China, India and Brazil, opposed the demand of developed countries to accept the “Singapore issues” and called on them to refuse subsidies to national agricultural producers (primarily in the EU and the USA). The negotiations did not lead to success;

6. Sixth Conference - Hong Kong (December 2005). The conference was marked by numerous protests by South Korean farmers. The conference was intended to complete the Doha Round of agricultural subsidies by 2006. Conference agenda: Further reduction of customs duties; Demand to stop direct subsidies to agriculture; A separate requirement for the EU regarding the Unified Agricultural Products; Singapore issues - a requirement for developed countries to introduce more transparent legislation in the field of investment, competition, government. procurement and trade facilitation;

7. Seventh Conference - Geneva (November 2009). At this conference, ministers retrospectively reviewed the work done by the WTO. According to the schedule, the conference did not hold negotiations on the Doha Round of negotiations;

8. Eighth Conference - Geneva (December 2011). In parallel to the plenary session, three working sessions were held on “The Importance of the Multilateral Trading System and the WTO”, “Trade and Development” and “The Doha Development Agenda”. The conference approved the accession of Russia, Samoa and Montenegro;

9. Ninth Conference - Bali (December 2013). Yemen's accession approved.

The organization is headed by the General Director with a corresponding secretariat subordinate to him. Subordinate to the Council is a special commission on trade policy of the participating countries, designed to monitor the implementation of their obligations within the WTO. In addition to general executive functions, the General Council manages several more commissions created on the basis of agreements concluded within the WTO.

The most important of them are: the Council on Trade in Goods (the so-called GATT Council), the Council on Trade in Services and the Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. In addition, under the General Council there are many other committees and working groups designed to provide the highest bodies of the WTO with information on developing countries, fiscal policy, fiscal issues, etc.

In accordance with the adopted “Understanding on the Rules and Procedures Governing the Resolution of Disputes” arising between WTO member states, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) is responsible for resolving disagreements. This quasi-judicial institution is designed to impartially and effectively resolve disputes between the parties. De facto, its functions are performed by the WTO General Council, which makes decisions based on reports of arbitration panels dealing with a particular dispute. In the years since the founding of the WTO, the OPC has been forced many times to resolve complex, often quite politicized, trade problems between influential WTO member states. Many decisions of the DSB over the past years are perceived ambiguously.

The WTO includes 159 members, including: 155 internationally recognized UN member states, 1 partially recognized state - Republic of China(Taiwan), 2 dependent territories - Hong Kong and Macau, as well as European Union(EU). To join the WTO, a state must submit a memorandum through which the WTO reviews the trade and economic policies of the organization concerned.

Member States of the World Trade Organization: Australia, Austria, Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bahrain, Belize, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi , Vanuatu, UK, Hungary, Venezuela, Vietnam, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, Grenada, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, DRC, European Community, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Israel, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Qatar, Kenya, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Colombia, Congo , Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mauritania, Madagascar, Macau, Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Maldives, Malta, Morocco , Mexico, Mozambique, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Netherlands, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Norway, UAE, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda, Romania, El Salvador, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Fiji, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Central African Republic, Chad, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Estonia, South Africa, Jamaica, Japan.

Observers to the WTO are: Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican City, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Comoros, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia.

Countries that are neither members nor observers to the WTO: Abkhazia, Anguilla, Aruba, East Timor, Jersey, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Western Sahara, Cayman Islands, Kiribati, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kosovo, Cook Islands, Curacao, Monaco, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Palau , San Marino, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Sint Maarten, Somalia, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Turkmenistan, Federated States of Micronesia, Eritrea, South Ossetia, South Sudan.

The heads of the WTO were:

Robert Azevedo, since 2013

Pascal Lamy, 2005-2013

Supachai Panitchpakdi, 2002-2005

Mike Moore, 1999-2002

Renato Ruggiero, 1995-1999

Peter Sutherland, 1995

The heads of the WTO's predecessor, GATT, were:

Peter Sutherland, 1993-1995

Arthur Dunkel, 1980-1993

Oliver Long, 1968-1980

Eric Wyndham White, 1948-1968