The establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1994 was accompanied by over fifteen other subsidiary agreements dealing with issues such as trade related investment, trade related intellectual property rights, dumping and subsidies, technical barriers to trade, quarantine measures and supply of services. These agreements also included an agreement for the settlement of disputes that has led to a sizeable amount of jurisprudence on WTO rules.
Since the establishment of the WTO, many countries, including Australia, have entered into free trade agreements that seek to enhance trade relationships between the parties to the agreement by reducing tariffs on goods being exported between the countries but also to address market access barriers for businesses. We advise clients on these trade rules to take advantage of the opportunities they present.
