The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade between nations. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that govern international trade.

Why did WTO start?

The goal of the WTO is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly and predictably as possible. The WTO was born out of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was established in 1947. If a trade dispute occurs, the WTO works to resolve it.

When did the WTO first start operating?

The WTO began life on 1 January 1995 but its trading system is half a century older. Since 1948, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) had provided the rules for the system.