On what date did the World Trade Organization begin operating?
A 1 January 1995
B 1 January 1948
C 15 April 1994
D 10 December 1948
Answer: 1 January 1995. The WTO was established on 1 January 1995.
Where is the WTO headquarters?
A New York City, United States
B Geneva, Switzerland
C Brussels, Belgium
D Rome, Italy
Answer: Geneva, Switzerland. The WTO’s headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.
Which organization did the WTO succeed as the main framework for multilateral trade in goods?
A International Monetary Fund
B International Labour Organization
C General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
D World Health Organization
Answer: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO succeeded the GATT system, which had governed trade from 1948.
What is the WTO’s central purpose?
A Managing international monetary reserves
B Coordinating global public health
C Protecting endangered wildlife
D Administering rules for trade between nations
Answer: Administering rules for trade between nations. The WTO is the global organization dealing with rules of trade between nations.
What agreement established the WTO?
A Marrakesh Agreement
B North Atlantic Treaty
C Treaty of Versailles
D Bangkok Declaration
Answer: Marrakesh Agreement. The Marrakesh Agreement established the World Trade Organization.
In which year was the Marrakesh Agreement signed?
A 1948
B 1994
C 1967
D 2001
Answer: 1994. The Marrakesh Agreement was signed in 1994 and the WTO began in 1995.
Which WTO body is its highest decision-making authority?
A General Secretariat of the United Nations
B International Court of Justice
C Ministerial Conference
D IMF Board of Governors
Answer: Ministerial Conference. The Ministerial Conference is the WTO’s top decision-making body.
How often does the WTO Ministerial Conference usually meet?
A Every month
B Once every ten years
C Only when a treaty is amended
D At least once every two years
Answer: At least once every two years. WTO members usually meet at ministerial level at least every two years.
Which WTO body carries out the work of the Ministerial Conference between meetings?
A General Council
B Security Council
C Executive Board of the IMF
D World Bank Development Committee
Answer: General Council. The General Council meets regularly in Geneva and handles WTO work between ministerial conferences.
Which WTO agreement covers trade in services?
A TRIPS
B GATS
C GATT 1947
D Marrakesh Protocol on Aviation
Answer: GATS. GATS is the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
Which WTO agreement covers trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights?
A GATS
B GATT
C TRIPS
D SPS only
Answer: TRIPS. TRIPS is the agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.
Which WTO agreement is primarily associated with trade in goods?
A GATS
B TRIPS
C ICSID Convention
D GATT
Answer: GATT. GATT rules concern international trade in goods.
What does the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding provide?
A Procedures for resolving trade disputes between members
B A system for allocating IMF quotas
C Rules for international air traffic control
D A court for criminal trials
Answer: Procedures for resolving trade disputes between members. The Dispute Settlement Understanding sets procedures for WTO trade disputes.
What is one function of the WTO?
A Issuing a single world currency
B Providing a forum for trade negotiations
C Running national customs agencies directly
D Setting domestic election rules
Answer: Providing a forum for trade negotiations. The WTO provides a forum where members negotiate trade agreements.
What does the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism do?
A Sets every member’s import tariffs directly
B Audits national health services
C Reviews members’ trade policies and practices
D Chooses the WTO Director-General
Answer: Reviews members’ trade policies and practices. The Trade Policy Review Mechanism increases transparency by reviewing members’ trade policies.
Which principle generally requires a WTO member to treat trading partners alike?
A Absolute territoriality
B Collective defence
C Universal suffrage
D Most-favoured-nation treatment
Answer: Most-favoured-nation treatment. Most-favoured-nation treatment is a core WTO principle of non-discrimination among trading partners.
Which WTO principle concerns equal treatment between imported and domestic products after entry into the market?
A National treatment
B Collective security
C Tripartite consultation
D Subsidiarity
Answer: National treatment. National treatment generally requires imported and domestic products to be treated alike once imports enter the market.
Where was the agreement establishing the WTO signed?
A Geneva, Switzerland
B Marrakesh, Morocco
C Doha, Qatar
D Bretton Woods, United States
Answer: Marrakesh, Morocco. The agreement establishing the WTO was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Which trade round led to the creation of the WTO?
A Doha Round
B Kennedy Round
C Uruguay Round
D Tokyo Round
Answer: Uruguay Round. The Uruguay Round negotiations concluded with the agreement that created the WTO.
In which city was the Doha Development Agenda launched?
A Marrakesh
B Geneva
C Singapore
D Doha
Answer: Doha. The Doha Development Agenda was launched at the WTO ministerial conference in Doha in 2001.
What does the WTO do to support developing-country officials?
A Provides technical cooperation and training
B Issues national identity documents
C Appoints trade ministers
D Sets their domestic tax rates
Answer: Provides technical cooperation and training. The WTO organizes technical cooperation and training for officials, including from developing economies.
Which body meets regularly in Geneva below the WTO Ministerial Conference?
A UN Trusteeship Council
B General Council
C World Bank Board of Governors
D International Labour Conference
Answer: General Council. The General Council meets regularly in Geneva as the WTO’s main body between ministerial conferences.
Which statement about WTO decisions is generally correct?
A They are issued by a global central bank
B They are made by NATO commanders
C They are made by member governments, often by consensus
D They are decided by private shipping companies
Answer: They are made by member governments, often by consensus. WTO decisions are made by member governments, commonly through consensus.
Which three WTO official languages are used in its work?
A English, Arabic and Chinese
B French, Russian and German
C Spanish, Hindi and Portuguese
D English, French and Spanish
Answer: English, French and Spanish. English, French and Spanish are the WTO’s three official languages.
What does the WTO administer?
A Multilateral trade agreements
B National central banks
C World Heritage sites
D International peacekeeping missions
Answer: Multilateral trade agreements. One of the WTO’s core functions is administering the multilateral trade agreements.