Trade measures

The WTO Trade Monitoring Exercise is a factual, non-legal exercise that provides transparency regarding new trade and trade policy related measures. As from 2024, one Trade Monitoring Report is circulated every year, normally in November, allowing WTO Members to undertake an interactive peer review in the Trade Policy Review Body at the WTO Headquarters. The Report is developed in close cooperation with WTO Members and cover trade measures implemented in the areas of goods, services, and intellectual property. They also provide up-to date accounts on other issues, including trade remedies, SPS, TBT, agriculture and environment.

Trade Monitoring outreach programme

The Secretariat offers training and briefings to interested WTO Members, Observers or group of Members/Observers under its Trade Monitoring outreach programme, to further facilitate their participation in the trade monitoring exercise. Delegations are encouraged to take advantage of the programme offered by the Secretariat, upon request.

If you are interested please contact the Trade Monitoring Section here: tprd-monitoring@wto.org.

Measures on Goods

WTO Members have implemented various trade and trade-related measures on goods recorded by the trade monitoring exercise since October 2008. Measures on goods cover measures that facilitate or restrict trade on goods and also initiations of trade remedy investigations and terminations of trade remedy actions. Almost all such measures appear to have been taken within the flexibilities provided for in the multilateral trading system.

Measures in Services

WTO Members have introduced several trade in services measures that have been captured by the trade monitoring exercise since October 2015, some horizontal in nature and some affecting specific services sectors. While most of these measures have provided for additional liberalization or otherwise facilitated services trade, a number of them appeared to be trade restrictive.

Intellectual Property Measures

WTO Members implemented a variety of measures to modernize their intellectual property (IP) regimes and streamline IP and trade in knowledge into their economies. Intellectual property measures have been captured by the trade monitoring exercise since October 2015.

COVID-19 and world trade

The COVID-19 and world trade webpage provides information on COVID-19 measures implemented by WTO Members and Observers related to trade in goods, services and intellectual property. It also includes support measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and communicated by WTO Members and Observers to the Secretariat. This information has been compiled by the WTO Secretariat and is an informal situation report and an attempt to provide transparency with respect to measures taken in the context of the pandemic. These lists of measures are not exhaustive and are updated regularly by the WTO Secretariat.

Highlights from last report

discussed by the WTO Members on 05/12/2024

The Director General's latest annual overview of developments in the international trading environment shows that between mid-October 2022 and mid-October 2023, WTO Members implemented more trade-facilitating measures than trade restrictive, and the trade covered by the facilitating measures far exceeded that affected by new restrictions. Nonetheless, trade restrictions especially on exports of food, feed and fertilisers continue to weigh on global trade, contributing to food price volatility. The stockpile of import restrictions implemented since 2009 shows little meaningful roll-back. For 2023, the trade covered by import restrictions in force dating back to 2009 was estimated at almost one tenth of total world imports.

Recent reports

Export restrictions persist, even if trade-facilitating trend continues
07/12/2023

Between mid-October 2022 and mid-October 2023, the value of world merchandise trade covered by new trade-facilitating measures far exceeded that affected by new trade restrictive measures, an encouraging trend at a time of uncertainty and tension in the global economy. Nevertheless, this report presented on 7 December at a meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body, indicates that trade restrictions continue to weigh on global trade, with persistent export restrictions contributing to food price volatility.

WTO Members facilitate imports but many food export restrictions persist
27/07/2023

The latest Director-General’s mid-year report on trade-related developments arrives at a time when the global economy continues to be affected by multiple crises. The continuing war in Ukraine, events related to climate change, high food and energy prices, and inflation, as well as the lingering ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, are having serious implications for the global economic environment. 

Goods measures

Last reporting period: 16/10/2023 - 15/05/2024

Next reporting period: 16/05/2024 - 15/10/2024

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