WTO & Its Importance
for Indian Business
Prof. Arun Mishra
Asst. Professor
Oriental College of Management
arunjimishra@gmail.com
What is the World Trade Organization?
• “The World Trade Organization is ‘member-
driven’, with decisions taken by General
agreement among all member of governments &
it deals with the rules of trade between
nations at a global or near-global level.”
• They deal with: agriculture, textiles &
clothing, banking, telecommunications,
government purchases, industrial
standards & product safety, food sanitation
regulations, intellectual property, & much
more.
Introduction
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an
organization that intends to supervise and
liberalize international trade.
• Only global international organization dealing
with the rules of trade between nations.
• At its heart are the WTO agreements,
negotiated & signed by the bulk of world’s
trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.
• The goal is to help producers of goods and
services, exporters and importers conduct
their business.
WTO: The History
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) came into
force on January 1st 1995.
• It was the outcome of the lengthy (1986-1994)
Uruguay round of GATT negotiations.
• Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Roberto Azevêdo (Director-General)
• Budget: 197 million Swiss francs (approx.)
• Secretariat Staff: around 640
• Membership: about 160.
WTO: The History
• The WTO was essentially an extension of
GATT.
• It extended GATT in two major ways.
▫ First GATT became only one of the three major
trade agreements that went into the WTO (the
other 2 are General Agreement on Trade in
Services (GATS) & Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)).
▫ Second the WTO was put on a much sounder
institutional footing than GATT. The WTO by
contrast is a fully fledged institution.
What is GATT?
• The General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade
(GATT) is neither an organization nor a court of
justice.
• It is simply a multinational treaty which now
covers 8% of the world trade.
• It is a decision making body with a code of rules
for the conduct of international trade
• A mechanism for trade liberalization.
• It is a forum where the contracting parties meet
from time to time to discuss & solve their trade
problems, & also negotiate to enlarge their trade.
What is GATT?
• The GATT rules provide for the settlement of
trade disputes, call for consultations, waive
trade obligations, & even authorize retaliatory
measures.
• The GATT has been a permanent international
organisation having a permanent Council of
representative with headquarters at Geneva.
• Initially 25 governments have signed it.
• Its function is to call International
conferences to decide on trade
liberalizations on a multilateral basis.
Objective of WTO
• The primary aim of WTO is to implement the
new world trade agreement.
• To promote multilateral trade.
• To promote free trade by abolishing tariff &
non-tariff barriers.
• To enhance competitiveness among all
trading partners so as to benefit consumers.
Objective of WTO
• To increase the level of production &
productivity with a view to increase the level of
employment in the world.
• To expand & utilize world resources in the
most optimum manner.
• To improve the level of living for the global
population & speed up economic development of
the member nations.
• To take special steps for the development
of poorest nations.
Functions of WTO
• Implementing WTO agreements &
administering the international trade.
• Cooperating with IMF & World Bank & its
associates for establishing coordination in
Global Trade Policy- Making.
• Settling trade related disputes among
member nations with the help of its Dispute
Settlement
Functions of WTO
• Reviewing trade related economic
policies of member countries with help of its
Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB).
• Providing technical assistance & guidance
related to management of foreign trade & fiscal
policy to its member nations.
• Acting as forum for trade liberalization.
ORGNISATIONAL STRUCTURE
ORGNISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Role of WTO
• To help the trading industry to become smooth,
fair, free and predictable.
• To become the administrator of multilateral
trade and business agreements between its
member nations.
• It supports all occurring negotiations for
latest agreements for trade.
• To resolve trade disputes between member
nations.
• If there are unfair trade practices or dumping and
there is complain filed, the staff of WTO are
expected to investigate and check if there are
violations based on the multi-lateral agreements.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
The WTO has both favorable and non-favorable
impact on Indian economy
Favorable impact
1.Increase In Export Earning
I. Growth In Merchandise Export
• The establishment of the WTO has increase the
exports of developing countries because of
reduction in tariff and non-tariff trade barrier
India's merchandise have increased from 32
billion US $(1995) to 185 billion US $ (2008-
09).
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
II. Growth in service exports
• The WTO introduced the GATS (General
Agreement on Trade in Service) that proved
beneficial for countries like India. India’s service
exports increased from 5 billion US $(1995) to 102
billion US $ (2008- 09) for 45% of India's service.
2. Agriculture export
• Reduction of trade barrier and domestic subsidies
raise the price of agricultural products in
international market, India hopes to benefit from
this in the form of higher export earning from
agriculture.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
3. Textile and Clothing
• Textiles and clothing. The phasing out of the MFA
(Multi Fiber Arrangements) will help the developing
countries like India to increase the export of textile
and clothing.
4.Foreign direct investment
• As per the TRIMs agreement, restrictions on foreign
investment have been withdrawn by the member
nations of the WTO.
• This has benefited developing countries by way of
foreign direct investment and portfolio investment.
• In 2008-09 the net foreign direct investment in India
was 35 billion US$.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
Unfavorable Impact
1. TRIPs (Trade Related aspects of
Intellectual Property)
• Protection of intellectual property rights has been
of the major concerns of the WTO. As a member
of the WTO, India has to comply with the
TRIPs standards.
• The agreement on TRIPs goes against the Indian
patent act 1970, in the following way.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
1. Pharmaceutical sector
• Under the Indian patent act 1970, only process
patents are granted to chemicals, drugs and
medicines. Thus, a company can legally
manufacture once it had the product patent.
• So Indian pharmaceutical companies could sell
good quality products at low prices.
• However under TRIPs agreement, product
patents will also be granted that will raise
the prices of medicines, thus keeping them out
of reach of the poor people, fortunately, most of
drugs manufactured in India are off – patents and
so will be less affected.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
ii. Agriculture
• Since the agreement on TRIPs extends to agriculture
as well; it will have considerable implications on
Indian agriculture. The MNC, with their huge
financial resources may also take over seed
production & will eventually control food production.
• Since a large majority of Indian population depends
on agriculture for their livelihood, these
developments will have serious consequences.
• Micro – organisms: under TRIPs agreement patenting
has been extended to micro organisms as well. These
mills largely benefit MNCs & not developing countries
like India.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
2.TRIMs (Trade Related Investment
Measures)
• The agreement on TRIMs also favours developing
nations as there are no rules in the agreement to
formulate international rules for controlling
business practices of foreign investors.
• Complying with the TRIMs agreement will
contradict our objective of self-reliant growth
based on locally available technology and
resources.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
3. GATS (General Agreement on Trade
in Services)
• The agreement on GATS will also favour the
developed nations more.
• Thus, the rapidly growing services sector in
India will now have to compete with giant
foreign firms.
• Since foreign firms are allowed to remit their
profits, dividends and royalties to their parent
company, it will cause foreign exchange burden
for India.
WTO & its Impact on Indian Economy
4. Trade and Non-tariff barriers
• Reduction of trade and non-tariff barriers has
adversely affected the exports of various
developing nations.
• Various Indian products have been hit by non-
tariff barriers.
• These include textiles, marine product,
floriculture, pharmaceutical basmati rice,
carpets, leather goods etc.
