guides > gatt to wto > introduction

This guide was prepared by the staff of the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library at the Georgetown University Law Center. If you need additional assistance, stop by the reference desk of the library or contact us by phone or email.

The General Agreement 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 an 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.