[20200521]IN11399_WTO退出决议.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i The WTO Withdrawal Resolutions May 21, 2020 The United States was a major force behind the creation of the multilateral trading system that emerged after World War II. That system was based on negotiated rounds of trade liberalization and common trade rules, most recently through the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) and the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995. The WTO, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GA TT) before it, serves as the foundation of the world trading system. However, after 25 years, WTOs 164 members have been unable to conclude a new round of multilateral negotiations. Thus, greater debate has arisen among Members of Congress about the benefits of the WTO, as well as calls for reform and renewed negotiations. Section 125 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) (P.L. 103-465), which approved and implemented the Uruguay Round Agreements, requires the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to submit a report to Congress every five years analyzing the costs and benefits of U.S. participation in the WTO. Once Congress receives this report, any Member may introduce a p