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Member states of the World Trade Organization

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The originalmembers of theWorld Trade Organization are the parties to theGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) afterratifying theUruguay Round Agreements,[1] and theEuropean Communities. They obtained this status at the entry into force on 1 January 1995 or upon their date of ratification. All other members have joined the organization as a result of negotiation, and membership consists of a balance of rights and obligations.[2] The process of becoming aWorld Trade Organization (WTO) member is unique to each applicant country, and the terms of accession are dependent upon the country's stage of economic development and the current trade regime.[3]

An offer of accession is given once consensus is reached among members.[4] The process takes about five years, on average, but it can take some countries almost a decade if the country is less than fully committed to the process, or if political issues interfere. The shortest accession negotiation was that of Kyrgyzstan, lasting 2 years and 10 months. The longest were that of Russia, lasting 19 years and 2 months,[5] Vanuatu, lasting 17 years and 1 month,[6] Comoros, lasting 16 years and 10 months, and China, lasting 15 years and 5 months.[7]

As of 2007, WTO members represented 96.4% of global trade and 96.7% of global GDP.[8]Iran, followed byAlgeria, are the economies with the largest GDP and trade outside the WTO, using 2005 data.[9][10]

Accession process

[edit]
WTO accession progress:[11]
  Draft Working Party Report or Factual Summary adopted
  Goods and/or Services offers submitted
  Working party meetings
  Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime submitted
  Working party established

A country wishing to accede to the WTO submits an application to the General Council. The government applying for membership has to describe all aspects of its trade and economic policies that have a bearing on WTO agreements.[2] The application is submitted to the WTO in a memorandum which is examined by a working party open to all interested WTO Members, and dealing with the country's application. For large countries such as Russia, numerous countries participate in this process. For smaller countries, theQuadrilateral group of members—consisting of Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States—and an applicant's neighboring countries are typically most involved.[12] The applicant then presents a detailed memorandum to the Working Party on its foreign trade regime, describing, among other things, its economy, economic policies, domestic and international trade regulations, and intellectual property policies. The Working Party Members submit written questions to the applicant to clarify aspects of its foreign trade regime with particular attention being paid to the degree of privatization in the economy and the extent to which government regulation is transparent.[13] After all necessary background information has been acquired, the Working Party will begin meeting to focus on issues of discrepancy between the WTO rules and the Applicant's international and domestic trade policies and laws. The WP determines the terms and conditions of entry into the WTO for the applicant nation, and may consider transitional periods to allow countries some leeway in complying with the WTO rules.[3]

The final phase of accession involves bilateral negotiations between the applicant nation and other Working Party members regarding the concessions and commitments on tariff levels and market access for goods and services. These talks cover tariff rates and specific market access commitments, and other policies in goods and services. The new member's commitments are to apply equally to all WTO members under normal non-discrimination rules, even though they are negotiated bilaterally. In other words, the talks determine the benefits (in the form of export opportunities and guarantees) other WTO members can expect when the new member joins. The talks can be highly complicated; it has been said that in some cases the negotiations are almost as large as an entire round of multilateral trade negotiations.[2]

When the bilateral talks conclude, the working party finalizes the terms of accession, sends an accession package, which includes a summary of all the WP meetings, the Protocol of Accession (a draft membership treaty), and lists ("schedules") of the member-to-be's commitments to the General Council or Ministerial Conference. Once the General Council or Ministerial Conference approves of the terms of accession, the applicant's parliament must ratify the Protocol of Accession before it can become a member.[14] The documents used in the accession process which are embargoed during the accession process are released once the nation becomes a member.[3]

Members and observers

[edit]
A world map of WTO participation:
  Members
  Members, dually represented with theEuropean Union
  Observers
  Non-members

As of August 2024, the WTO has 166 members.[15] Of the 128 states party to GATT at the end of 1994, all have since become WTO members except for theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which haddissolved in 1992 and was suspended from participating in GATT at the time.[16][17] Four other states,China,Lebanon,Liberia, andSyria, were parties toGATT but subsequently withdrew from the treaty prior to the establishment of the WTO.[16][18] China and Liberia have since acceded to the WTO. The remaining WTO members acceded after first becoming WTO observers and negotiating membership.

The 27 states of theEuropean Union are dually represented, as the EU is a full member of the organization. Other autonomous entities are eligible for full membership in the WTO provided that they have a separate customs territory with full autonomy in the conduct of their external commercial relations. Thus,Hong Kong became a GATT contracting party, by the now terminated "sponsorship" procedure of the United Kingdom (Hong Kong uses the name "Hong Kong, China" since 1997), as didMacao. A new member of this type is theRepublic of China (Taiwan), which acceded to the WTO in 2002, and carefully crafted its application by joining under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei)"[19][20] so that they were not rejected as a result of theOne China principle implemented by thePeople's Republic of China.

The WTO also has 23 observer states,[15] that with the exception of theHoly See must start their accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers. The last country admitted as observer-only before applying for full membership was Equatorial Guinea in 2002, but since 2007 it is also in full membership negotiations. In 2007 Liberia and Comoros applied directly for full membership. Some international intergovernmental organizations are also granted observer status to WTO bodies.[21] ThePalestinian Authority submitted a request for WTO observer status in October 2009[22] and again in April 2010.[23]

Timor-Leste is the newest member, joining effective 30 August 2024.

Russia was one of the only two large economies outside of the WTO after Saudi Arabia joined in 2005.[24][25] It had begun negotiating to join the WTO's predecessor in 1993. The final major point of contention—related to the2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines[26] and the2008 Russo-Georgian War—was solved through mediation by Switzerland,[24] leading to Russian membership in 2012.[27] The other is Iran, which is an observer state and began negotiations in 1996.[28]

A membership offer requires a two-thirds majority vote among existing members,[29][30] while the granting of observer status requires a simple majority.[31][32] Observers have speaking rights after members have spoken, but not the right to submit proposals or voting rights.

List of members and accession dates

[edit]

The following table lists all current members, their accession date and previous GATT membership, of which there were 128 nations when the transformation was consummated.[15][17][33]

State[15][34][17]Date of accessionGATT membership
Afghanistan[a]29 July 2016
Albania8 September 2000
Angola23 November 19968 April 1994
Antigua and Barbuda1 January 199530 March 1987
Argentina1 January 199511 October 1967
Armenia5 February 2003
Australia1 January 19951 January 1948
Austria[b]1 January 199519 October 1951
Bahrain1 January 199513 December 1993
Bangladesh1 January 199516 December 1972
Barbados1 January 199515 February 1967
Belgium[b]1 January 19951 January 1948
Belize1 January 19957 October 1983
Benin22 February 199612 September 1963
Bolivia12 September 19958 September 1990
Botswana31 May 199528 August 1987
Brazil1 January 199530 July 1948
Brunei1 January 19959 December 1993
Bulgaria[c]1 December 1996
Burkina Faso3 June 19953 May 1963
Burundi23 July 199513 March 1965
Cambodia13 October 2004
Cameroon13 December 19953 May 1963
Canada1 January 19951 January 1948
Cape Verde23 July 2008
Central African Republic31 May 19953 May 1963
Chad19 October 199612 July 1963
Chile1 January 199516 March 1949
China11 December 2001
Colombia30 April 19953 October 1981
Comoros21 August 2024
Congo, Democratic Republic of the1 January 199711 September 1971
Congo, Republic of the27 March 19973 May 1963
Costa Rica1 January 199524 November 1990
Côte d'Ivoire1 January 199531 December 1963
Croatia[d]30 November 2000
Cuba20 April 19951 January 1948
Cyprus[e]30 July 199515 July 1963
Czech Republic[e]1 January 199515 April 1993
Denmark[b]1 January 199528 May 1950
Djibouti31 May 199516 December 1994
Dominica1 January 199520 April 1993
Dominican Republic9 March 199519 May 1950
East Timor30 August 2024
Ecuador21 January 1996
Egypt30 June 19959 May 1970
El Salvador7 May 199522 May 1991
Estonia[e]13 November 1999
Eswatini[f]1 January 19958 February 1993
European Union[g]1 January 1995
Fiji14 January 199616 November 1993
Finland[b]1 January 199525 May 1950
France[b]1 January 19951 January 1948
Gabon1 January 19953 May 1963
Gambia23 October 199622 February 1965
Georgia14 June 2000
Germany[b]1 January 19951 October 1951
Ghana1 January 199517 October 1957
Greece[b]1 January 19951 March 1950
Grenada22 February 19969 February 1994
Guatemala21 July 199510 October 1991
Guinea25 October 19958 December 1994
Guinea-Bissau31 May 199517 March 1994
Guyana1 January 19955 July 1966
Haiti30 January 19961 January 1950
Honduras1 January 199510 April 1994
Hong Kong, China[h][15]1 January 199523 April 1986
Hungary[e]1 January 19959 September 1973
Iceland1 January 199521 April 1968
India1 January 19958 July 1948
Indonesia1 January 199524 February 1950
Ireland[b]1 January 199522 December 1967
Israel21 April 19955 July 1962
Italy[b]1 January 199530 May 1950
Jamaica9 March 199531 December 1963
Japan1 January 199510 September 1955
Jordan11 April 2000
Kazakhstan30 November 2015
Kenya1 January 19955 February 1964
Korea, Republic of1 January 199514 April 1967
Kuwait1 January 19953 May 1963
Kyrgyzstan20 December 1998
Laos2 February 2013
Latvia[e]10 February 1999
Lesotho31 May 19958 January 1988
Liberia14 July 2016
Liechtenstein1 September 199529 March 1994
Lithuania[e]31 May 2001
Luxembourg[b]1 January 19951 January 1948
Madagascar17 November 199530 September 1963
Malawi31 May 199528 August 1964
Malaysia1 January 199524 October 1957
Maldives31 May 199519 April 1983
Mali31 May 199511 January 1993
Malta[e]1 January 199517 November 1964
Macao, China[i][15]1 January 199511 January 1991
Mauritania31 May 199530 September 1963
Mauritius1 January 19952 September 1970
Mexico1 January 199524 August 1986
Moldova26 July 2001
Mongolia29 January 1997
Montenegro29 April 2012[40]
Morocco1 January 199517 June 1987
Mozambique26 August 199527 July 1992
Myanmar1 January 199529 July 1948
Namibia1 January 199515 September 1992
  Nepal23 April 2004
Netherlands[b]1 January 19951 January 1948
New Zealand1 January 199530 July 1948
Nicaragua3 September 199528 May 1950
Niger13 December 199631 December 1963
Nigeria1 January 199518 November 1960
North Macedonia[j]4 April 2003
Norway1 January 199510 July 1948
Oman9 November 2000
Pakistan1 January 199530 July 1948
Panama6 September 1997
Papua New Guinea9 June 199616 December 1994
Paraguay1 January 19956 January 1994
Peru1 January 19957 October 1951
Philippines1 January 199527 December 1979
Poland[e]1 July 199518 October 1967
Portugal[b]1 January 19956 May 1962
Qatar13 January 19967 April 1994
Romania[c]1 January 199514 November 1971
Russia22 August 2012
Rwanda22 May 19961 January 1966
Saint Kitts and Nevis21 February 199624 March 1994
Saint Lucia1 January 199513 April 1993
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1 January 199518 May 1993
Samoa10 May 2012[40]
Saudi Arabia11 December 2005
Senegal1 January 199527 September 1963
Seychelles26 April 2015
Sierra Leone23 July 199519 May 1961
Singapore1 January 199520 August 1973
Slovakia[e]1 January 199515 April 1993
Slovenia[e]30 July 199530 October 1994
Solomon Islands26 July 199628 December 1994
South Africa1 January 199513 June 1948
Spain[b]1 January 199529 August 1963
Sri Lanka1 January 199529 July 1948
Suriname1 January 199522 March 1978
Sweden[b]1 January 199530 April 1950
 Switzerland1 July 19951 August 1966
Taiwan[k][15]1 January 2002
Tajikistan2 March 2013
Tanzania1 January 19959 December 1961
Thailand1 January 199520 November 1982
Togo31 May 199520 March 1964
Tonga27 July 2007
Trinidad and Tobago1 March 199523 October 1962
Tunisia29 March 199529 August 1990
Turkey26 March 199517 October 1951
Uganda1 January 199523 October 1962
Ukraine16 May 2008
United Arab Emirates10 April 19968 March 1994
United Kingdom[l]1 January 19951 January 1948
United States1 January 19951 January 1948
Uruguay1 January 19956 December 1953
Vanuatu24 August 2012[6]
Venezuela1 January 199531 August 1990
Vietnam11 January 2007
Yemen26 June 2014
Zambia1 January 199510 February 1982
Zimbabwe5 March 199511 July 1948
Notes
  1. ^The WTO continues to recognize the government of theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan.[35]
  2. ^abcdefghijklmnMember state of theEuropean Union.
  3. ^abMember state of theEuropean Union since 2007.
  4. ^Member state of theEuropean Union since 2013.
  5. ^abcdefghijMember state of theEuropean Union since 2004.
  6. ^Known asSwaziland until 2018.
  7. ^Allmember countries of the European Union are also members of the WTO individually.
  8. ^Official name wasHong Kong until 1997.[36][37]
  9. ^Official name wasMacao until 1999.[38][39]
  10. ^Known as theRepublic of Macedonia until 2019.
  11. ^Officially uses the designation "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu".
  12. ^FormerMember state of theEuropean Union untilwithdrawing in 2020. Extended its membership to the Channel Islands on 1 January 2021.[41][42][43]

List of observers

[edit]

The following table lists all 23 WTO observers.[15][44] Within five years of being granted observer status by the WTO, states are required to begin negotiating their accession to the organization.[15]

StateDate of membership applicationStatus[45]
Algeria3 June 1987Inactive since 2014
Andorra4 July 1997Inactive since 1999
Azerbaijan30 June 1997Work in progress
Bahamas10 May 2001Inactive since 2019
Belarus23 September 1993Inactive since 2019
Bhutan1 September 1999Reactivation
Bosnia and Herzegovina11 May 1999Strategic focus
Curaçao[46]31 October 2019[47]Activation
Equatorial Guinea19 February 2007Activation
Ethiopia13 January 2003Reactivation
Holy SeeNone[a]Observer since 1997[48]
Iran19 July 1996Inactive since 2011
Iraq30 September 2004Work in progress
Lebanon[b]30 January 1999Inactive since 2017
Libya10 June 2004Inactive since 2004
São Tomé and Príncipe14 January 2005Inactive since 2005
Serbia23 December 2004Inactive since 2013
Somalia12 December 2015[49]Activation
South Sudan5 December 2017[50]Inactive since 2019
Sudan11 October 1994Inactive since 2021
Syria[b]10 October 2001Inactive since 2010
Turkmenistan[c]24 November 2021[52]Activation
Uzbekistan8 December 1994Strategic focus
Notes
  1. ^The Holy See is exempted from having to negotiate full WTO membership.[15]
  2. ^abWas a party to GATT prior to withdrawing.[18][16]
  3. ^Observer status granted22 July 2020[51]

Neither members nor observers

[edit]

Applicants

[edit]
Since 2005,UN General Assembly observer state Palestine has been granted speaking rights at eachMinisterial Conference of the WTO, under the namePalestinian Authority until 2009 and under the name Palestine from 2011 onward.[53][54][55] Palestine is not listed as an "observer government" like other observer states, and is instead listed under "other observers" in the same category as non-state observers such as theInternational Trade Centre andWorld Bank.[56] Palestine applied for observer state status on 2 October 2009 and 12 April 2010.[57][58] As of 2 December 2016,[update] Palestine had expressed an interest in joining the WTO as a full member.[59]
On 17 November 2019, the African Union applied for observer status.[60]

Other states

[edit]

The followingUN member states are neither members nor observers of the WTO:[15]

Additionally, as of 16 November 2015[update]Kosovo had expressed an interest in joining the WTO as a member.[61]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Legal texts: the WTO agreements at World Trade Organization
  2. ^abcMembership, Alliances and Bureaucracy, World Trade Organization
  3. ^abcAccessions Summary, Center for International Development
  4. ^C. Michalopoulos,WTO Accession, 64
  5. ^Russia's entry to WTO ends 19 years of negotiations The Guardian, 22 August 2012
  6. ^abVanuatu:accession status at WTO official website
  7. ^P. Farah, "Five Years of China's WTO Membership", 263–304
  8. ^"Accession in perspective". World Trade Organization. Retrieved22 December 2013.
  9. ^"ANNEX 1. STATISTICAL SURVEY".World Trade Organization. 2005. Retrieved22 December 2013.
  10. ^Arjomandy, Danial (21 November 2013). "Iranian Membership in the World Trade Organization: An Unclear Future".Iranian Studies.47 (6):933–950.doi:10.1080/00210862.2013.859810.S2CID 162297876.
  11. ^"Summary Table of Ongoing Accessions".World Trade Organization. April 2014. Retrieved25 October 2014.
  12. ^C. Michalopoulos,WTO Accession, 62
  13. ^C. Michalopoulos,WTO Accession, 63
  14. ^How to Become a Member of the WTO, World Trade Organization
  15. ^abcdefghijkMembers and Observers at WTO official website
  16. ^abc"World Trade Report"(PDF).World Trade Organization. 2007. Retrieved11 April 2014.
  17. ^abc"The 128 countries that had signed GATT by 1994".World Trade Organization. Retrieved11 April 2014.
  18. ^ab"Article XXXI - Withdrawal"(PDF).World Trade Organization. Retrieved11 April 2014.
  19. ^Jackson J. H.,Sovereignty, p. 109
  20. ^"Member information - Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei) and the WTO".World Trade Organization. Retrieved19 February 2013.
  21. ^International Intergovernmental Organizations Granted Observer Status to WTO Bodies, World Trade Organization
  22. ^"Palestine - Request for Observer Status". Taiwan WTO Center. 6 October 2009. Archived fromthe original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved3 November 2012.
  23. ^"Palestine - Request for Observer Status". Taiwan TWO Center. 13 April 2010. Archived fromthe original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved3 November 2012.
  24. ^ab"Russia becomes WTO member after 18 years of talks". BBC. 16 December 2011. Retrieved17 December 2011.
  25. ^Heilprin, John (17 December 2011)."Russia gets approval to join the WTO".San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved17 December 2011.
  26. ^"Georgia threatens to block Russian WTO bid". UPI. 7 October 2006.
  27. ^"Russia joins WTO".Deutsche Welle. 22 August 2012.
  28. ^"IRAN TRADE LAW| process 3".Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved3 April 2010.
  29. ^"WTO | Understanding the WTO - membership, alliances and bureaucracy".www.wto.org. Retrieved26 January 2024.
  30. ^"WTO | Understanding the WTO - Whose WTO is it anyway?".www.wto.org. Retrieved26 January 2024.
  31. ^"Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 29 August 2000.
  32. ^"Rules of procedure for sessions of the ministerial conference". Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2022.
  33. ^"ACCESSIONS: Protocols of accession for new members since 1995, including commitments in goods and services". World Trade Organization. Retrieved5 September 2019.
  34. ^Status of WTO Legal Instruments(PDF).World Trade Organization. 2012. Retrieved24 July 2013.
  35. ^"Docsonline Maintenance".
  36. ^"Admission of Hong Kong as a contracting party". Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2024.
  37. ^"Wt/L/218". Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2024.
  38. ^"Admission of Macao as a contracting party". Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2024.
  39. ^"Wt/L/333". Archived fromthe original on 20 January 2024.
  40. ^abMontenegro and Samoa strengthen the WTO WTO media release, 30 April 2012
  41. ^"Channel Islands to become part of UK's WTO territory".BBC News. 18 October 2019.
  42. ^"Guernsey will get WTO membership after Brexit".Bailiwick Express. 19 October 2019.
  43. ^Taylor, Ed (19 October 2019)."Agreement puts Island on 'strongest possible footing' for post-Brexit trade".Jersey Evening Post.
  44. ^"WTO Members and Accession Candidates".World Trade Organization. March 2013. Retrieved23 April 2013.
  45. ^"WTO ACCESSIONS 2024 ANNUAL REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL*".World Trade Organization. 14 February 2025. Retrieved7 March 2025.
  46. ^"Members endorse Curaçao's bid for WTO membership".World Trade Organization. 3 March 2020. Retrieved7 March 2020.
  47. ^"WTO Accession Newsletter No 96"(PDF).World Trade Organization. Retrieved7 December 2019.
  48. ^"Welcome to the Holy See Mission". Holy See Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. Retrieved24 April 2013.
  49. ^"WT/ACC/28 - WTO Accessions: 2016 Annual Report by the Director-General – Statement by the Director-General". World Trade Organization. 2 December 2016. Retrieved7 December 2016.
  50. ^"WTO Accession Newsletter"(PDF). World Trade Organization. December 2017. Retrieved26 December 2017.
  51. ^"Members endorse Turkmenistan's WTO observer status". World Trade Organization. 22 July 2020. Retrieved26 July 2020.
  52. ^"Turkmenistan formally applies for WTO membership".World Trade Organization. 24 November 2021. Retrieved26 November 2021.
  53. ^"Wt/Min(05)/St/170".
  54. ^"Excellencies - Distinguished delegates".Palestine National Authority. Archived fromthe original on 18 November 2022.
  55. ^"Statement by H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Khraishi - Ambassador, Permanent Observer of Palestine". 15 December 2011. Archived fromthe original on 18 November 2022.
  56. ^"WTO | Ministerial conferences - Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference - Statements by Members and observers at the plenary session".
  57. ^"WT/L/770 - PALESTINE – REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS". World Trade Organization. 6 October 2009. Retrieved10 September 2017.
  58. ^"WT/L/792 - PALESTINE – REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS". World Trade Organization. 13 April 2010. Retrieved10 September 2017.
  59. ^"WTO ACCESSIONS 2016 ANNUAL REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL".World Trade Organization. 2 December 2016. Retrieved21 January 2024.
  60. ^"Request for observer status by the African Union - Communication from Benin on behalf of the African group". Archived fromthe original on 17 January 2024.
  61. ^"WTO ACCESSIONS 2015 ANNUAL REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL".World Trade Organization. 16 November 2015. Retrieved21 January 2024.

Bibliography and Web

[edit]
System
Issues
Agreements
Ministerial
Conferences
People
Members
European Union
  1. Special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, participating as "Hong Kong, China" and "Macao, China".
  2. Officially the Republic of China, participates as "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu", and "Chinese Taipei" in short.

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