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From GATT to the WTO and Beyond Research Guide

Introduction

The General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade, known as the GATT, is one third of the Bretton Woods system that was created after World War II to ensure a stable trade and economic world environment. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are the other two bodies of the Bretton Woods system. While often referred to as as international organization, the GATT had a "de facto" role as an international organization before the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO was established on January 1, 1995 by the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of negotiations.

This guide focuses on the GATT and WTO. For more general sources on international trade, see our research guide, International Trade Law.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Wolff Library reference desk at 202-662-4195 or by email: intlref@law.georgetown.edu. You may also submit your question via this online form.

History and Basic Information

After World War II, the United Kingdom and the United States submitted proposals to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations regarding the establishment of an international trade body that was to be named the International Trade Organization (ITO). That is, perhaps, why the GATT is often referred to as a UN-related body and its documents are sometimes mistakenly referred to as UN documents.

ECOSOC convened a conference, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment in 1946 to consider the UK and US proposals. A Preparatory Committee drafted the ITO Charter and it was approved in 1948 at the conference in Havana, Cuba. The Charter is often referred to as the Havana Charter or the ITO Charter.

The first round of trade negotiations took place while the Preparatory Committee was still working on drafting the Charter because the participants were anxious to begin the process of trade liberalization as soon as possible. Their results were incorporated into the General Agreement, which was signed in 1947.

Since the original signatory nations expected the Agreement to become part of the more permanent ITO Charter, the text of the GATT contains very little "institutional" structure. This lack of detail within the agreement has created increasing difficulties as the GATT membership and roles governing trade between so many of the world's nations have grown. The GATT has functioned as an international organization for many years even though it has never been formalized as such.

ECOSOC established an Interim Commission for the ITO that is referred to as ICITO. Unfortunately, when it came time for the members to ratify the ITO Charter, the Congress of the United States refused and the ITO never became a reality. The GATT survived, but remained intact only due to the Protocol of Provisional Application of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which was concluded in 1947 and which entered into force in 1948.

The GATT completed 8 rounds of multilateral trade negotiations (MTNs). The Uruguay Round (the 8th round) concluded with the signing of the Final Act on April 15, 1994, in Marrakesh, and produced the WTO Agreement and its annexes.

Text of the Agreements

The Quick Reference Table highlights some of the most frequently-cited agreements. The texts of other side agreements, such as Textiles and Clothing, Anti-Dumping and Safeguards, are available from the WTO legal texts site.

Quick Reference Table

Name Alternate Name Citation Text
Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization Marrakesh Agreement

1867 U.N.T.S. 154;

33 I.L.M. 1144 (1994)

Text in pdf
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures -- 1867 U.N.T.S. 14 Text in pdf
Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures TRIMs 1868 U.N.T.S. 186 Text in pdf
Final Act Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations Final Act

1867 U.N.T.S. 14;

33 I.L.M. 1143 (1994)

Text in pdf
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1994) GATT 1994

1867 U.N.T.S. 187;

33 I.L.M. 1153 (1994)

Text in pdf
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947) GATT 1947

55 U.N.T.S. 194;

61 Stat. pt. 5;

TIAS 1700

Text in pdf
General Agreement on Trade in Services GATS

1869 U.N.T.S. 183;

33 I.L.M. 1167 (1994)

Text in pdf
WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures SPS Agreement 1867 U.N.T.S. 493 Text in pdf

Additional sources for the texts of the agreements

The quickest place to find the text of the WTO agreements is on the official WTO website. Here are some other options.

GATT/WTO Documentation

After finding the basic text of the Agreement, you will often need to use the following two important GATT/WTO publications:

  • Basic Instruments and Selected Documents (GATT BISD) INTL KZ5185.A4 1947
    Also available in Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - by Topic > International Trade > Treaties & International Agreements > GATT Basic Instruments and Selected Documents] and on CD-ROM.
  • Basic Instruments and Selected Documents (WTO BISD) INTL KZ185.A4

The instruments included in these two publications include protocols, agreements, declarations, procès-verbal, memoranda, certifications, and arrangements. A cumulative subject index is published annually.

Documents from the different negotiating rounds are regularly published by commercial publishers. Check the library catalog, using the name of the Multilateral Round in a keyword search: Tokyo, Doha, Dillon, Uruguay.

Since the United States is a contracting party to the GATT and the WTO, you can use Treaties in Force (TIF) as an index to GATT/WTO instruments. Check agreement and accession documents under the heading "Trade and Commerce" for all other treaty document cites. Note: it can take some time before official citations are reprinted in TIF.

Finding GATT/WTO Documents

  • GATT Digital Library: 1947-1994 (Stanford University)
    Over 30,000 public documents and 300 publications of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are accessible from this site. A very small number of WTO documents are also included - see WTO Documents Online for these documents. The GATT published close to 60,000 documents between 1947-1994. Derestriction of some 10,000 of these documents has not yet occurred; hence, public access to these is unavailable.
  • WTO Documents Online (WTO)
    This database provides access to the official documentation of the World Trade Organization, including the legal texts of the WTO agreements. The database contains WTO documentation from 1995 onwards and is updated daily. It also contains selected material for the period 1986-1994, principally Uruguay Round documents and a small number of GATT documents. There are currently over 100,000 documents in the database in the three official languages of the WTO.
  • GATT Microfiche Collection INTL Media
    The GATT microfiche collection is located in International Media (4th Fl. Wolff Library). Please ask for assistance at the Reference Desk of the Wolff Library. The microfiche collection includes only de-restricted documents. Subject access to the collection is by means of the "List and Index of Documents Issued," also located in INTL Media.

Other Publications

  • WTO Analytical Index
    The WTO Analytical Index is the authoritative guide to the interpretation and application of findings and decisions of WTO panels, the WTO Appellate Body and other WTO Bodies. You can search for caselaw or decisions by topic (e.g. anti-dumping, footwear, or like products) or by agreement/article (e.g. TRIPS Art. 30 or Anti-Dumping Art. 2). The WTO Analytical Index is also available in print. INTL REF K4602.2 2003
  • Analytical Index : Guide to GATT Law and Practice INTL REF KZ5185 .C6 1994
    The GATT Analytical Index is similar to the WTO Analytical Index. It also contains notes on the drafting, interpretation and application of the articles of the GATT. It has references to corresponding articles from the Havana Charter and preceding drafts. The GATT Index provides documents symbols from Preparatory Committee meetings from 1946 on.
  • Antidumping and Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) Federal Register Notices (International Trade Administration)

Research Databases

The Library subscribes to a number of databases that are essential for researching the GATT/WTO. For a complete list of the Library's subscription databases, see Our Online Collection.

Trade-Specific Databases

  • Worldtradelaw.net
    Provides detailed summaries and commentaries on WTO Panel and Appellate Body Reports. Each document provides a basic summary of the panel's or Appellate Body's legal findings and conclusions, a timeline, references to other reports and materials, and expert analysis on many of the key issues in the report. There is also access to the full text of the Panel and Appellate Reports. See Dispute Settlement Commentary Subscriber Log-in Area to access the commentaries.
  • World Trade Online
    Immediate access to the latest in trade news. Each day's complete issue of Inside U.S. Trade, plus retrospective coverage going back 5 years. Also available: News from Around the World and exclusive special reports.
  • WTO Reporter (BNA)
    Daily coverage of news developments from and about the World Trade Organization.
  • ISINOLAW
    Provides access to legislation and regulations, cases, arbitration awards, and legal news from the People's Republic of China. Information on China and the WTO is also available. Documents are available in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
  • China Trade Extra
    This database is part of the World Trade Online service. It provides access to news, documents, statements, U.S. policy, and more related to China and the World Trade Organization (WTO) as well as trade issues generally.
  • International Trade Daily (BNA)
    This database covers information published on a daily basis about U.S. and foreign trade policy, with a focus on topics such as export incentives, financing, licensing, foreign investments, limits on imports, import relief, and adjustment assistance. The content includes news and trends in U.S. trade policy, including regulatory, legislative, and judicial developments; pertinent activities of the International Trade Commission, Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce, World Trade Organization, and European Union.
  • International Trade Reporter (BNA)
    This electronic version of the publication provides "current information on laws, regulations, cases, and policy developments affecting U.S. trade, international business, and major U.S. trading partners, provided in this comprehensive multi part resource." Also available in print in the Wolff Library reference stacks at Call Number KF6656.5 .I58.

Lexis & Westlaw

Lexis

To access the GATT/WTO databases in Lexis, go to the Legal tab, then Area of Law - by Topic, then choose International Trade. Below is a list of some of the relevant databases available under International Trade on Lexis. Many more databases on international law/international trade are available.

  • GATT Panel & World Trade Decisions
  • WTO Dispute Settlement (contains panel reports, appellate body reports and miscellaneous documents)
  • Basic Instruments and Selected Documents
  • WTO Trade Policy Reviews, Combined
  • BNA WTO Reporter
  • Basic Documents of International Economic Law
Westlaw

To access the GATT/WTO databases in Westlaw, use the database identifier -- the abbreviation for the database (in parenthesis after the name of the database). Type the database identifier into the "Search these databases" box in order to go directly to the database. Below is a list of some of the relevant databases available under International Trade on Westlaw. Many more databases on international law/international trade are available.

  • WTO & GATT Panel Decisions (WTO-DEC)
  • BNA WTO Reporter (BNA-WTO)
  • Uruguay Round General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
  • BNA's International Trade Library (BNA-INTLTRADE)

Dispute Settlement

There are many sources for GATT/WTO panel decisions. Here are some of the ones that are most frequently used.

If you are looking for a quick summary of cases from 1995 to September 2006, see WTO Dispute Settlement: One-Page Case Summaries [pdf].

  • Dispute Settlement on the WTO Website
  • World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Decisions : Bernan's Annotated Reporter INTL KZ5185.A53 This set is annotated and is not considered official.
  • Dispute Settlement Reports INTL KZ5185.W67 This set is not annotated and is considered the "official" WTO version.
  • Worldtradelaw.net
    Provides access to GATT/WTO reports. Very useful commentaries are also available for the WTO reports. These commentaries include the background of the case, a timeline, key findings, and an additional explanation and discussion of certain issues.
  • Westlaw - WTO & GATT Panel Decisions Database [WTO-DEC]
  • Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - by Topic > International Trade > WTO > GATT Panel and World Trade Decisions]
  • International Trade Reporter (BNA)
  • Handbook of WTO/GATT Dispute Settlement (updated regularly) INTL REF K4602.2 1991

Current Awareness

In addition to keeping you up-to-date with what is going on at the WTO, current awareness tools are helpful for identifying paper topics.

Bibliographies & Other Research Guides

Bibliographies

Bibliographies do some of your research for you! They're usually a list of articles and books on a specific topic. They can save you a lot of time in your research.

WTO/GATT Specific Research Guides

International Trade - General Research Guides

Revised January 2007 (aeb)
Links revised August 2008 (RAS)

Page last saved 23-Sep-2011