world Trade organisation is a multilateral interstate organization that has been functioning since January 1, 1995. It arose as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as a result of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations of 1986-1994, held under the auspices of the GATT. The Uruguay Round ended on 15 April 1994 with the Marrakesh Protocol (Final Act), which opened the Agreement Establishing the WTO for signature.

As of January 1, 2006, 150 states became members of the WTO. 30 states, including Russia, have observer status and are in the process of joining the WTO. The headquarters of the WTO is located in the city of Geneva, Switzerland (rue de Lausanne, 154, CH-1211). The WTO is not part of the system of UN institutions, but, having the status of a legal entity, enjoys all the privileges of UN special agencies. The official languages ​​are English, French and Spanish. WTO address on the Internet - www.wto.org

The budget of the Organization and the amount of contributions of individual member countries is based on traditional practice and the rules of GATT-1947 (a country's share in the WTO budget is equal to its share in international trade).

The agreement consists of a preamble, in a general form repeating the GATT preamble, 16 articles and four annexes containing the legal instruments of the WTO. The agreement provides for the creation of a single multilateral structure for the implementation of 56 legal documents that make up the legal system of the WTO. Article II of the Agreement establishes that the legal documents named in Annexes 1, 2, 3 are integral parts of the Agreement, their provisions create rights and obligations for all WTO members. Countries that have joined the WTO must accept them without any exceptions and exceptions and are obliged to bring their national legislation into line with the norms of these documents. Annex 4 contains the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft and the Agreement on Government Procurement, which create obligations only for the countries of their signatories.

The functions of the WTO are defined in Article III of the Agreement as promoting the implementation and application of WTO legal instruments; organization of negotiations between its members on issues of multilateral trade relations; ensuring the functioning of the mechanism for the periodic review of the trade policy of WTO members and the implementation of the Agreement on the rules and procedures for resolving disputes.

At present, the newly acceding states, including Russia, are following the following path. Article XII of the Agreement states that any state or separate customs territory with full autonomy in the conduct of its foreign trade may accede to the WTO on terms to be agreed between that state and the WTO. The decision on accession is taken by the Ministerial Conference by a two-thirds vote of the WTO members. However, according to the tradition of the GATT, the decision is made by consensus.

The acceding country notifies the Director General of the WTO of its intention to join the WTO, submits the Memorandum on the foreign trade regime (goods and services) to the WTO. After that, the issue of accession conditions is considered by the Working Group, which is created by the WTO General Council. The working group studies the country's foreign trade regime, its legislation and practice. A significant part of the work in the Group is transferred to informal meetings and consultations, during which the conditions for the country's accession to the WTO are gradually worked out. At the same time, bilateral negotiations are underway on the issue of reducing trade barriers, which should result in a list of concessions and obligations of the acceding country in these areas. The outcome of the meetings of the Working Group is the report of the Group to the General Council (Conference) of the WTO, containing a summary of the discussion, the conclusions of the Working Group, as well as draft decisions of the General Council (Conference) of the WTO and the protocol on accession. The report of the Working Group, the decision and protocol on accession must be approved by the General Council (Conference) of the WTO. The decision on the accession of a country enters into force 30 days after its adoption by the acceding country.

The legal framework of the WTO is multilateral agreements covering the scope of trade in goods, services and trade aspects of intellectual property rights. The legal framework of the WTO can be outlined by a list of documents attached to the Agreement, constituting its integral part and creating rights and obligations for the governments of the WTO member countries.

Applications 1, 2, and 3 include:

Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods - GATT-1994 together with understandings, decisions, and agreements interpreting and developing the articles of the GATT: (Understandings regarding the interpretation of articles II, XVII, XXIV, XXVIII); Agreement on the Application of Article VI (Anti-Dumping Code); Agreement on the Application of Article VII (Customs Value); agreements on subsidies and countervailing measures, on safeguard measures, on import licensing procedures, on rules of origin, on technical barriers to trade, on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, on pre-shipment inspection, on agriculture, on textiles and clothing; Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures – TRIMs Agreement;

General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS);

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights - TRIPS Agreement;

Mutual understanding regarding the rules and procedures for resolving disputes;

Trade Policy Review Mechanism.

The legal documents of the WTO also include 23 declarations and ministerial decisions related to the above documents, and an agreement on commitments in the field of financial services. An integral part of the legal documents of the WTO are national protocols on access to markets for goods and services, which appeared as a result of the Uruguay Round, and which fix tariff conditions for access to the markets of individual countries, as well as obligations for access to service markets. Multilateral agreements included in the WTO contain legal norms that governments should be guided by in mutual trade in goods and services. As such, they replace more than 30,000 bilateral agreements and form the legal basis for modern international trade. Their main principles are most favored nation treatment, national treatment and transparency in the use of regulatory measures.

The organizational structure of the WTO was formed on the basis of the development of the principles laid down in the GATT and improved for about 50 years. Article XVI of the Agreement says that the WTO should be guided by the decisions, procedures and common practices followed by contracting parties and GATT bodies. However, the Agreement notes that the GATT, which entered the WTO (GATT-1994), is different from the GATT dated September 30, 1947 (GATT-1947) in terms of law. The main body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which meets once every two years. This Conference has all the rights of the WTO, can carry out all its functions and make decisions. Between conferences, its functions are performed by the General Council. The Council may act as a Dispute Settlement Body and a Trade Policy Review Body. In these cases, the Council has separate chairmen and its own legal procedures. In addition, there is a Council for Trade in Goods to oversee the implementation of multilateral agreements on trade in goods, a Council for Trade in Services to oversee the implementation of the GATS, and an Intellectual Property Board to oversee the operation of the agreement. Trade and development committees have also been set up; on budgetary, financial and administrative matters. In addition, WTO bodies regularly have committees formed under the aforementioned individual multilateral agreements. There is a WTO Secretariat headed by the Director General, who is given the authority to appoint other members of the Secretariat and determine their terms of reference and functions. At present, the total staff of the Secretariat exceeds 600. Within the framework of the WTO, the system of decision-making by consensus adopted in GATT-1947 continues to operate. In cases where consensus cannot be reached, the decision may be taken by a vote, with each WTO member country having one vote. However, the voting system in the WTO is used extremely rarely. Articles IX and X of the Agreement determine the procedural aspects of voting.

The agreement provides for various ways of accession to the WTO. In accordance with the Final Act of the Uruguay Round, the acceding countries were divided into several groups. GATT members became members of the WTO by accepting the Agreement, multilateral trade agreements, as well as the General Agreement on Trade in Services and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. In order to become members of the WTO, non-GATT Uruguay Round countries had to complete GATT 1947 accession negotiations, provide a list of their GATT tariff concessions and specific GATS commitments. Approximately in the same position were developing countries that accepted the provisions of the GATT on the so-called factual basis. These conditions were met by 132 states that formed the WTO. They received the name of the original members of the WTO. At present, any state joins on the basis of Article XII of the Agreement.

World Trade Organization (WTO - English World Trade Organization (WTO))- an organization established in 1995 with the aim of establishing international trade and establishing the regulation of trade and political relations between member states. The WTO began its activities as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947.

The World Trade Organization WTO is a community of countries that recognize its Charter and adhere to the main agreements governing foreign trade. Currently, the WTO is not a UN body and has mechanisms for resolving trade issues between member states.

The headquarters of the WTO is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization includes both developed and developing countries from all continents. Initially, 77 countries were members of the World Trade Organization. It currently has 162 members (158 internationally recognized states, Taiwan, 2 dependent territories and the European Union).

What are the tasks of the WTO?

The tasks of the WTO include:

  • control over the implementation of agreements and agreements of the package of documents of the Uruguay Round;
  • conducting multilateral trade negotiations between interested member countries;
  • resolution of trade disputes;
  • monitoring the national trade policy of member countries;
  • cooperation with international specialized organizations.

WTO rules regulate only trade and economic issues. In general, the WTO promotes the ideas of free trade, seeking to remove any protectionist barriers.

What gives the country accession to the WTO?

The main benefits of WTO membership are:

  • assistance in creating favorable conditions in the international trade market in the form of developing stable, strong trade relations between the participating countries (including assistance in creating favorable conditions in foreign economic policy);
  • elimination of all discrimination, protection of interests, both national and common among WTO member countries, if they are infringed by other partner countries;
  • assistance in the implementation of the plans, the emergence of new trade and economic interests.

All countries that have joined the World Trade Organization undertake to comply with the terms of agreements, legal documents, which are united under the single term "Multilateral Trade Agreement" (MTS). In other words, the organization provides a package of agreements (contracts), rules, certain norms that govern all world trade.

From international organizations the status of observers received: the World Bank, the UN and the IMF.

Is Russia a member of the WTO?

Negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO lasted 18 years. Since August 22, 2012, she has become a full member of the organization of the Russian Federation. The most difficult were the negotiations with the US and the European Union. In particular, for a long time it was not possible to resolve issues with Washington on access to the Russian market of American pork and on the protection of intellectual property rights, with the EU - on export duties on timber, on agriculture, on the conditions for the industrial assembly of cars on the territory of the Russian Federation.

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WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)(World Trade Organization - WTO) - an international economic organization that regulates the rules international trade according to the principles of liberalism.

The WTO has been operating since January 1, 1995, the decision to establish it was made at the end of many years of negotiations within the framework of the Uruguay Round of the GATT, which ended in December 1993. The WTO was officially formed at a conference in Marrakesh in April 1994, therefore the Agreement Establishing the WTO is also called the Marrakesh Agreement.

While the GATT dealt only with trade in goods, the scope of the WTO is wider: in addition to trade in goods, it also regulates trade in services and trade aspects of intellectual property rights. The WTO has the legal status of a specialized agency of the UN system.

Initially, 77 states joined the WTO, but by the middle of 2003, 146 countries - developed, developing and post-socialist - were its members. The "motley" composition of the WTO member states is reflected in the emblem of this organization itself.

Some ex-Soviet countries have also joined the WTO: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan. An important event was the accession to the WTO in December 2001 China, which is considered one of the most promising participants in world trade. The WTO member countries account for approximately 95% of world trade - in fact, almost the entire world market without Russia. A number of countries have officially expressed their desire to join this organization and have the status of observer states. In 2003, there were 29 such countries, including the Russian Federation and some other post-Soviet states ( Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).

WTO tasks.

The main task of the WTO is to promote unhindered international trade. The developed countries, on whose initiative the WTO was created, believe that it is economic freedom in international trade that contributes to economic growth and an increase in the economic well-being of people.

It is currently believed that the world trading system should comply with the following five principles.

1). No discrimination in trade.

No state should infringe on any other country by imposing restrictions on the export and import of goods. Ideally, in the domestic market of any country there should be no difference in terms of sale between foreign products and domestic products.

2). Lower trade (protectionist) barriers.

Trade barriers are called factors that reduce the possibility of penetration of foreign goods into the domestic market of any country. These include, first of all, customs duties and import quotas (quantitative restrictions on imports). International trade is also affected by administrative barriers and exchange rate policies.

3). Stability and predictability of the terms of trade.

Foreign companies, investors and governments need to be sure that trade conditions (tariff and non-tariff barriers) will not be changed suddenly and arbitrarily.

four). Stimulation of competitiveness in international trade.

For equal competition of firms from different countries, it is necessary to stop “unfair” methods of competition, such as export subsidies (state assistance to exporting firms), the use of dumping (deliberately low) prices to capture new markets.

five). Benefits in international trade for less developed countries.

This principle partly contradicts the previous ones, but it is necessary to draw into the world economy the underdeveloped countries of the periphery, which obviously cannot at first compete with the developed countries on an equal footing. Therefore, it is considered "fair" to grant special privileges to underdeveloped countries.

In general, the WTO promotes the ideas of free trade (free trade), fighting for the removal of protectionist barriers.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995. It is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947.

The WTO is both an organization and a set of legal documents that define the rights and obligations of governments in the field of international trade in goods and services.

The legal basis of the WTO is:

1. General Agreement on Trade in Goods (GATT) as amended in 1994.

2. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

3. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

The main tasks of the WTO - liberalization of international trade, ensuring its fairness and predictability, creating a favorable environment for economic growth and improving the economic well-being of people.

The highest governing body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference. It is convened at least once every two years, as a rule, at the level of ministers of trade or foreign affairs of the WTO member countries. The Conference has the authority to decide on the most fundamental issues concerning new rounds of multilateral negotiations.

The current management of activities and supervision of the operation of the agreement and ministerial decisions is carried out by the General Council. It meets several times a year in Geneva. The General Council usually includes ambassadors and heads of missions of WTO members. The functions of the General Council also include resolving trade disputes between WTO member countries and conducting periodic reviews of their trade policies.

The General Council oversees the activities subordinate bodies:

the Council for Trade in Goods, which oversees the implementation of GATT;

the Council for Trade in Services, which oversees the implementation of the GATS;

Intellectual Property Board, which oversees the implementation of TRIPS.

In addition to the above bodies, the WTO has working and expert groups and specialized committees. Their functions are to review the implementation of certain parts of multilateral agreements, as well as other issues of interest to member countries, for example, those relating to competition rules, investment, the operation of regional trade agreements, trade aspects of environmental protection and the admission of new members.

Currently, 145 countries are members of the WTO, about 30 are observers. Observers are mainly countries that are negotiating to join the WTO and intend to join this organization in the next five years.

The World Trade Organization has the following character traits:

1. The WTO is, first and foremost, an organization created to promote freer international trade. WTO actions are aimed at removing trade barriers between countries.

2. The WTO is not any supreme body whose decisions are binding on the governments of all member countries of this organization.

3. WTO member countries agree among themselves on international trade issues, but subject to WTO rules.

4. Membership in the WTO does not prohibit the establishment of customs duties on certain types of goods. However, the usual amount of such duties does not exceed an average of 5-7%.

5. The WTO is a democratic organization where decisions are made by consensus and only in exceptional cases (and such were only in GATT practice) - by majority vote.

6. All WTO member countries are equal, regardless of their size and level of economic development.

7. The WTO agreements contain provisions that allow the governments of the participating countries to take measures to protect the environment, to protect the life and health of people, animals and plants.

Problems of Russia's accession to the WTO

When joining the WTO, according to the rules of this organization, Russia is obliged to agree on its membership in this international organization with all member countries. Therefore, the process of Russia's accession to the WTO is quite long and may take some more time.

The main problem of Russia's accession to the WTO is, first of all, the removal of restrictions on the supply of goods from abroad, in a sense, restrictions on competition from foreign companies. This will lead to the fact that domestic producers may not be able to compete on an equal footing with both very high-quality Western products and very cheap Chinese ones. Another thing is that this process will take place gradually (which is why such long negotiations are underway), and our enterprises will have time to adapt to new conditions.

Therefore, experts believe that, despite increased competition from foreign manufacturers when Russia joins the WTO, the impact of this event on the domestic industry will not be very significant or catastrophic, although each enterprise will have to take care of itself and increase the efficiency of its own work.

The leaders of the Russian Federation and the United States consider Russia's membership in the WTO to be real by the end of the year

Russian President Dmitry Medvedeva and US President Barack Obama discussed in detail the situation in the negotiation process on Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin's press service reported. In accordance with the agreement reached during the previous telephone conversation on July 11, the heads of state discussed in detail the situation in the negotiation process for Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization.

"It was noted with satisfaction that the impulses given by both sides contributed to the achievement of significant progress in the negotiations. In this regard, it was emphasized that the solution of the priority task - ensuring Russia's membership in the WTO by the end of this year - seems quite realistic. The leaders of the two countries exchanged views on further steps to stimulate and coordinate work in this area," the message says.

Russia has been negotiating to join the WTO for the past 17 years. The WTO is an international organization created to liberalize international trade and regulate trade and political relations of member states. The Russian economy is the only leading economy in the world that is not a member of the organization, which requires the consent of all its 153 members to join. Usually, negotiations and the procedure for joining the organization take five to seven years.

The head of the Russian negotiating delegation, director of the trade negotiations department of the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Medvedkov said at the end of July that negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO, as evidenced by the preliminary plan of the chairman of the working group Stefan Johanneson, could be completed by the meeting of the WTO General Council on December 14-16.

After the completion of negotiations, the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO will have to prepare all the documents, check them with all members of the organization and submit this package of documents, together with a recommendation for adoption, to the general council of this organization. Then, according to Medvedkov, the General Council, which meets for a meeting about once every two months, must approve these documents and accept Russia into the organization. After that, all documents will be submitted for ratification to the Russian parliament, which usually takes three to five months, and 30 days after the signing of the ratification documents by the president, Russia will become a member of the WTO. Earlier, Medvedkov noted that the State Duma could ratify all documents on the WTO faster - in one or two months.

The next consultations are scheduled for mid-September, and the final meeting of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO is to take place in November.

For a long 18 years, the Russian Federation has been seeking entry into the World Trade Organization. In 2012, our country nevertheless entered this union. Such a grandiose event gave rise to many disputes between politicians and public figures. And in 2018, news appeared about a possible withdrawal of Russia from the organization. What could have happened? Why and when did Russia join the WTO? We will try to understand everything in our article.

The role of the WTO on the world stage

Before examining the question of why Russia joined the WTO, it is necessary to give a brief description of the organization itself. The World Trade Union (or organization) was established on January 1, 1995. It aimed to liberalize interstate trade and regulate the political relations of its member countries. The WTO is formed on the basis of GATT - the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

The headquarters of the trade union is located in the capital of Switzerland. There are 164 states in the union. The WTO is responsible for the formation and implementation of new trade agreements. It monitors compliance by its members with all ratified norms. Member countries of the union have a relatively high level of customs and tariff protection. The main principles of the organization are reciprocity, equality and transparency.

Russia's accession to the WTO

The date of the start of negotiations can be called 1986. Even then, the leadership of the Soviet Union announced its intention to conclude an agreement with the GATT. The application was rejected at the urging of the US. The states motivated this by the fact that the USSR was carrying out a planned economy incompatible with the free market. However, 4 years later, the Soviet Union still received observer status.

The USSR collapsed, a new state appeared - the Russian Federation. In 1993 the Constitution was adopted. At the same time, official negotiations began on accession to the WTO. They went on for an incredibly long time. Most of the problems for the Russian Federation were created by the European Union and the United States.

The question of when Russia will join the WTO was complicated by the Russian government itself. 208 people out of 446 who voted strongly opposed the participation of the Russian Federation in the international trade union. However, the law was still ratified. It was approved by the Federation Council and the President. At the beginning of 2012, a number of conditions were presented to Russia, under which the country could enter the union.

Conditions for joining the WTO

The full text of the requirements put forward by WTO members to Russia can be found on the website of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Most of the changes concerned customs duties. Two lists of commitments were presented - for goods and services. Russia was temporarily limited in the admission of foreign persons from WTO members to the domestic market.

Two important principles have come into force. The first is "about the national regime". It means that tax, procedural and private law rules are equivalent for both Russians and foreigners. The second principle is "the favored nation". If Russia provides favorable treatment for certain persons of one WTO member country, then such a regime will automatically work for all other persons of any other member of the organization.

When did Russia join the WTO? On July 21, 2012, the Russian President signed the Federal Law "On Russia's Accession to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Union."

Why did Russia join the WTO?

"The country has confidently stepped forward to meet the West, and this will affect, first of all, the quality of life of the Russians themselves." Such speeches could be heard from the domestic media when Russia joined the WTO. The authorities also began to assure the people of the importance and epochal nature of the event. Was it all true? Opinions on this issue differ. You can independently form a conclusion for yourself by looking at the main goals that Russia wished to achieve in the WTO

The primary task of the state when entering into a trade union was the modernization of relations with the West in the form of opening domestic markets and lowering tariffs. Russia's goals in the WTO are as follows:

  • participation in the formation of the rules of interstate trade, taking into account national interests;
  • improving the image of Russia on the world stage;
  • access to an interstate mechanism for resolving trade conflicts;
  • obtaining the best conditions for access of domestic products to the world market;
  • expanding opportunities for Russian investors in WTO member states.

In pursuit of these goals, the Russian authorities have developed an important principle for themselves: the rights and obligations of the country in the WTO should contribute to economic growth, but not vice versa.

Russia in the WTO: main advantages

What positive developments should have followed Russia's accession to the WTO? The first undeniable advantage that immediately comes to mind is the improvement of the country's image on the world stage. It is unlikely that anyone will dare to ignore the fact that Russia is an incomprehensible country for many and in many ways even dangerous. This is far from a European state, but there are not so many eastern elements in it. The Russian authorities should try very hard to show how our country can be useful on the world stage. The long-awaited access to the WTO is a clear improvement in the image of the Russian Federation.

When Russia joined the WTO, the Russian media relentlessly reported on the early price cuts for most products. Allegedly, the cost of goods will fall within a couple of years after joining the trade union. Prices have really dropped. But the decrease was insignificant and it affected far from all goods. Free access to the established trading schemes bore fruit, which was undoubtedly a great advantage for Russia at that time. However, the joy was short-lived. Two years later, the United States and the European Union applied the first package of sanctions against our country.

Economic growth

Russia joined the WTO in a year of optimal economic development. 2012 was marked by presidential elections and new reforms. Numerous sanctions have not yet denigrated the economic and political state of affairs in the country. Thanks to the alliance with the WTO, competition has increased in Russia. The result was the modernization of the domestic economy.

The credit rate was lowered - both for the ordinary population and for small and large businesses. Some domestic producers were able to enter the world market. This forced them to pay attention to the quality of their products. This has resulted in increased competition.

Some import duties have been significantly reduced. Medicines, clothing, IT products and other goods have become more accessible to the population. Finally, the principle of transparency in WTO trade legislation has made it possible to build complex and high-quality relations between the parties.

So why did Russia join the WTO? Looking at the listed advantages, it becomes not at all difficult to answer this question. The country could experience a real economic recovery. Unfortunately, this did not happen due to the Ukrainian conflict, in which Russia intervened. Sanctions were imposed on the country, and some deputies seriously thought about withdrawing from the WTO. In their bill, they gave a list of disadvantages that membership in a trade union gives Russia.

Russia in the WTO: main shortcomings

The possibility of unemployment in the domestic market is the first and main disadvantage. Russian enterprises may simply not be able to compete with foreign manufacturers. The situation may worsen in the so-called "factory" cities - where most of the population is involved in production.

Import duties have been lowered. This led to the fact that a number of goods became unprofitable to produce in Russia. These are agricultural products, and most importantly - the automotive industry. Thus, the customs duty on the import of used cars fell 4 times. The authorities are already actively fighting this phenomenon. It diligently, although not very successfully, promotes the policy of "import substitution".

In addition to import duties, export duties may also be reduced. Because of this, the country's budget may be at a loss. However, there is no reason to be afraid of an increase in the state debt: the authorities have created many other problems for themselves.

Consequences of Russia's accession to the WTO

Experts are confident that joining a trade union will entail a reduction in duties on many goods. So, by 2019, the duty on cars should fall from 30 to 15 percent. Following the car industry, alcohol, household appliances, clothing and much more will fall in price.

It is expected that Russia's participation in the WTO will provide an additional $2 billion per year. The Russian economy will grow at the expense of foreign investments. The external environment will change. Competition will rise, tariff barriers will decrease, the state will reduce a number of protectionist measures.

Criticism of Russia's participation in the WTO

The question of whether Russia joined the WTO has worried many political scientists and economists. Experts worried that the losses from joining the union would be much higher than the possible benefits. Back in 2006, experts calculated that the benefits of domestic enterprises after joining the WTO would amount to $23 billion, and losses - $90 billion. However, things turned out a little differently. Russia joined the union on preferential terms, which allowed it not to change its customs policy at all during the first three years.

In 2012, Vladimir Putin did not side with the critics of the WTO. He said that the modernization of the Russian economy would be simply impossible if the government decides to ignore the issue of joining the union. When Russia joined the WTO (date and year indicated above), the main critics of this step were members of the Communist Party faction.

The question of Russia's withdrawal from the WTO

Deputies from the Communist Party faction have already developed a bill aimed at the systematic withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the World Trade Union. The document refers to the year in which Russia joined the WTO and what followed. 900 billion rubles were lost over the five years of membership, and by 2020 the amount of damage will be 12-14 trillion rubles

What threatens Russia's exit from the WTO? Unfortunately, no one knows. Under an international agreement, there is a right of withdrawal, but no one has exercised it. Russia can set a precedent. With a high degree of probability, it will entail the imposition of severe sanctions on the guilty party.