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Canada and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

The World Trade Organization helps create rules for trade between its 166 members. Canada is a strong proponent of the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core.

Overview

The World Trade Organization provides a common framework for conducting trade relations among its 166 Members.

Trade and development

Canada plays an important role in participating and contributing to various WTO-led initiatives to support developing and least-developed members.

Dispute settlement

Canada participates in many WTO disputes as a complainant, a respondent or a third party.

Multilateral negotiations

Trade negotiations are a key function of the WTO.

Joint Statement Initiatives

Learn about Canada’s participation in the WTO Joint Statement Initiatives.

Trade and environment

Learn more about Canada’s role in WTO Trade and Environmental Sustainability initiatives.

Ministerial conferences

The Ministerial Conferences are the highest decision-making body of the WTO.

Trade policy reviews

Surveillance of national trade policies is a fundamental activity conducted by the WTO.

Reform Agenda and the Ottawa Group

Canada is committed to its leadership role in finding solutions to modernize the institution and to the 21st-century challenges to the multilateral trading system.

Contact us

If you have questions or comments, we would like to hear from you.

News

Official Government of Canada news releases, statements and media advisories related to the World Trade Organization.

Overview

The (WTO), established in 1995, provides a common institutional framework for conducting trade relations among its 166 Members, including:

• administering WTO trade agreements and providing a forum for negotiations of new rules among its Members
• administering the rules and procedures concerning the conduct of handling trade disputes between its Members
• facilitating the monitoring of Members’ trade policies to help ensure transparency and compliance with WTO trade agreements
• providing technical assistance and training to help developing country Members take full advantage of the multilateral trading system

The WTO has several councils and specialized committees, working groups and working parties dealing with agreements covering a wide range of trade-related issues.

Canada has been a member of the WTO since the organization’s establishment and is a strong proponent of an open, rules-based multilateral trading system. Creating opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses through WTO participation on a global scale is a central part of our trade policy.

Canada endorses the goal of universal membership in the WTO and participates in all negotiations of countries seeking to join the organization.

For more information, refer to:

• Canada’s statements at the WTO
• The Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva

Trade and development

Through participation in and contributions to various WTO-led initiatives, Canada plays an important role in supporting developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) in areas such as:

• sustainable economic growth
• poverty reduction
• food security
• environmental protection

Canada has been contributing to WTO-led initiatives since Aid for Trade launched in 2005, through instruments such as:

• .

Canada also supports the advancement of Trade and Development themes within WTO negotiations to facilitate a multilateral trading system that is accessible to all Members.

Dispute settlement

Canada is an active participant in many WTO disputes, including as a complainant, a respondent or a third party. Participation in WTO dispute settlements help ensure that other WTO Members comply with their obligations and that the interests of Canadian stakeholders are protected.

The WTO maintains a and a repository of documents related to each case. The page provides specific information about how disputes are settled.

Canada and 18 other WTO Members established the to address the need to fill vacancies on the WTO’s Appellate Body. The MPIA became operational in May 2020 and there are now more than 50 participants, including frequent users of the WTO dispute settlement system. The purpose of the MPIA is to safeguard the binding and two-stage dispute settlement between MPIA-participating Members on an interim basis, while work continues amongst all WTO Members to resolve the Appellate Body impasse. The MPIA is open to all WTO Members. 

Multilateral negotiations

Trade negotiations are a key function of the WTO. WTO Members have a standing mandate for multilateral negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda and pursue plurilateral negotiations whereby subsets of the full WTO membership are interested in specific areas of liberalization. Current active multilateral negotiations include:

Joint Statement Initiatives

Joint Statement Initiatives (JSI) are plurilateral initiatives to advance the negotiating agenda of the WTO. At the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2017, Canada and a broad range of WTO Members agreed to begin discussions towards future WTO negotiations in the areas of:

• Electronic Commerce
• Domestic Regulation
• Investment Facilitation for Development
• Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)

These initiatives present a concrete opportunity to strengthen WTO rules and revitalize the negotiating function of the WTO to benefit Canadian businesses. The Joint Statement Initiatives are open to any WTO Member wishing to participate. They have the potential to serve as building blocks for new 21st century rules agreed to by the full WTO membership.

Trade and environment

In 2020, Canada and like-minded WTO Members initiated ‘structured discussions’ to focus on trade and environmental sustainability within the WTO, leading to the creation of the . The initiative, intended to complement the WTO’s multilateral efforts, including those of the Committee on Trade and Environment, provides a forum for members and stakeholders to engage on how trade can support environmental sustainability. Canada, in partnership with Costa Rica, co-convenes TESSD, and is joined by 77 members. Additionally, Canada participates the , which explores how the WTO could reduce plastics pollution and promote more environmentally sustainable trade in plastics.

Ministerial conferences

The are the highest decision-making body of the WTO. It usually meets at least once every two years and is attended by the trade ministers of WTO Members. The Ministerial Conference can make decisions on any matters under any multilateral trade agreement.

Trade policy reviews

Surveillance of national trade policies is a fundamental activity conducted by the WTO. It reviews the trade policies of its members at regular intervals. Canada is an active participant. The objectives of a trade policy review (TPR) include facilitating the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system by enhancing the transparency of members’ trade policies. The frequency of each member’s review varies according to its share of world trade. Canada’s most recent TPR took place in June 2024. Canada is reviewed by the WTO on a five-year cycle.

The TPR process consists of 3 main stages:

1. Reports: In advance of the TPR, both the WTO secretariat and the Government of Canada would release their respective report. The WTO Secretariat seeks to provide a detailed overview of Canada’s economic environment, trade and investment regimes, as well as specific sectorial policies and practices adopted since its last review in 2019. The Government Report seeks to outlines Canada’s strategic trade orientations and highlighted significant policy changes and initiatives that were carried out during the period under review.
2. Advanced written questions: These two reports would serve as the basis for all WTO members to submit written questions. Canada is required to provide written responses to these questions before its Trade Policy Review Body Appearance (TPRB) to ensure fruitful discussions.
3. Trade Policy Review Body appearance: Canada’s trade policy regime was discussed at the meeting of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) in Geneva from June 19 to 21, 2024. All documents become public 30 days after Canada’s appearance.

Reform and the Ottawa Group

The WTO is at a crossroads and faces many challenges that are stressing the multilateral trading system. In response, Canada has brought together a small group of WTO members committed to supporting and strengthening the multilateral trading system called the Ottawa Group on WTO reform. This group consists of 14 members:

• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• European Union
• Japan
• Kenya
• Korea
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Singapore
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

Canada convenes meetings of the Ottawa Group to engage in meaningful exchanges to enhance and improve the WTO over the short, medium and long term.

The group works openly and engages additional WTO members when appropriate. The work of the Ottawa Group is meant to contribute to the development of ideas and suggestions to the broader WTO membership for consideration and discussion.

For more information, refer to the Ottawa Group and WTO reform page.

Contact us

If you have questions or comments about this initiative, please contact us:

Trade Policy and Negotiations Division (TCW)
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Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0G2

Fax: 613-944-0757
Email: consultations@international.gc.ca

News

Related links

• Canada and the United Nations (UN)