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News: India and Ethiopia signed the bilateral accession protocol on 22 May 2026 in Geneva in the context of Ethiopia’s WTO accession.
About Process of WTO Membership
- Eligibility to Apply: Any state or customs territory having full autonomy in conducting its trade policies can apply for World Trade Organization (WTO) membership under Article XII of the WTO Agreement.
- Request for Membership: The accession process begins when the candidate country sends a formal request to the WTO seeking membership.
- Formation of Working Party: The General Council establishes a Working Party of WTO members to conduct negotiations with the candidate country.
- Any WTO member can join this group at any stage.
- Examination of Trade Regime: The Working Party examines whether the candidate country’s trade regime is compatible with WTO rules.
- If required, the country must amend existing laws or adopt new laws and inscribe WTO rules into its national legal system.
- Bilateral Market Access Negotiations: At the same time, the applicant negotiates bilaterally with Working Party members to further open its market for goods and services.
- The agreed outcomes are compiled into goods and services schedules.
- Final Commitments at Accession: At accession, tariffs and commitments on goods and services are offered equally to all WTO members under the principle of Most Favoured Nation (MFN).
