Abstract
The World Trade Organization (WTO) was set up in 1995, replacing the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) that was set up in 1947. The organization was based in Geneva and is presently located in 149 countries. It is allocated with a budget of 125 million dollars and its main decision-makers are the United States, Japan and the European Union. China joined the WTC in 2001 after a 15-year battle and is still facing conflicts with the WTO. The WTO has been formed in order to help producers of goods and services, exporters and importers conduct their business. To enable this, it promotes free trade by persuading countries to abolish customs duties and other barriers. It also polices free trade agreements, settles trade disputes between governments and organizes trade negotiations. It is the only global international organization dealing with the rule of trade between nations and the majority of the world's trading nations have ratified the WTO agreements. That's why the WTO is generally associated with globalization and became the main target of alter-globalists.
