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 11/12/2024
Recent reports
Increase in trade restrictions against backdrop of unilateral policies
11/12/2024
The WTO Director-General's annual overview of global trade developments shows a sharp rise in the coverage of trade-restrictive measures by WTO members between mid-October 2023 and mid-October 2024, compared to the last Trade Monitoring Report in November 2023. While the report, presented at an 11 December meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), also points to WTO members’ introduction of a substantial number of trade-facilitating measures, there is increasing evidence of inward-looking trade policies which could generate further uncertainty for the world economy.
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.
Goods measures
Last reporting period: 16/05/2024 - 15/10/2024
Next reporting period: 16/10/2024 - 15/05/2025