TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM

Report of the Trade Policy Review Body for 2024

Chairperson: H.E. (Dr) Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid (Nigeria)

1._       This Report by the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) provides a brief assessment of its activities in 2024. The annexed tables provide information on Members reviewed up to the end of 2024, the programme of reviews for 2025, and candidates for review in 2026.

Activities of the TPRB

2._       By the end of 2024, the TPRB will have conducted 594 reviews[1] since its inception in 1989 (Annex I), covering 161 of 166 Members.^[2] Fourteen Members were reviewed in 2024, including four LDCs (Annex II). Four Members opted for the alternative timeline for the Q&A process.

3._       During the year, the Secretariat reports continue to be prepared in close consultation with the authorities of the Members under review, and are always delivered on time. Responses to requests for data, documentation, and information have generally been provided within the suggested deadlines. In preparing its reports, the Secretariat also continued its efforts to reduce the burden on Members under review by using, to the extent possible, other sources of documentation, including Members' official websites and other credible sources. Another element of the process is the responses by the authorities to the draft reports. In 2024, both in-person visits and virtual communications were used to exchange information between the Secretariat teams and the authorities.

4._       Efforts continue to be made to schedule TPRB meetings evenly throughout the year and, to the extent possible, avoid conflicts with other WTO meetings so as to reduce pressure on Members.

5._       The programme of reviews for 2025 was issued on 21 June 2024.[3] After feedback from the relevant delegations, the WTO Secretariat circulated a first revision of the 2025 Programme of Reviews on 23 October 2024.[4] The Programme for 2025 comprises 16 meetings, covering 16 Members (Annex III). Annex IV provides the list of Members that are considered as candidates for review in 2026.

Coverage of LDCs and follow-up to TPRB meetings

6._       TPRs of LDCs have been beneficial to them in terms of improving their understanding of, and enhancing their compliance with, WTO agreements. This thus helps them to further integrate into the multilateral trading system. Of the current 37 WTO LDC Members, 33 had been reviewed by the end of 2024.[5] In 2024, four LDC Members, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, and Solomon Islands, were reviewed.

7._       At the request of the Member concerned, the Secretariat organizes a follow-up workshop to discuss the outcomes of the Review with domestic stakeholders for LDCs and developing countries. The Secretariat works closely with the Member to plan a workshop that not only disseminates the results/outcomes of the Review, but also reflects the Member's priorities and technical assistance needs and the concerns expressed by other Members during the TPR. The workshop aims to achieve a better understanding of recent initiatives taken, or being taken, by the Government, and exchange views on steps the Government may take to address concerns raised by other Members. In 2024, no follow-up workshop was organized.

Monitoring of trade and trade-related measures

8._       The TPRM requires Members, between their Reviews, to provide information on significant trade policy changes. The Secretariat uses this and other information to prepare reports on the trade and trade-related developments of Members and Observer Governments, which are then consolidated in the Annual Report by the Director‑General on the Overview of Developments in the International Trading Environment (Trade Monitoring Report).[6] Cooperation and interest from Members remain very positive, as noted in the regular meetings of the TPRB on trade monitoring. The Secretariat continues to reach out to all Members and Observers with a view to improving their participation.

9._       Since the beginning of the trade monitoring exercise in 2009, the TPRB has reviewed 32 Trade Monitoring Reports (15 annual and 17 mid-year). At the seventh Appraisal of the TPRM in 2023, Members invited the Secretariat to reduce the frequency of its reports on trade monitoring to one annual report in normal times, while maintaining flexibility to adjust the frequency in times of crisis, as appropriate.

10._    The latest Trade Monitoring Report covered measures taken from mid‑October 2022 to mid‑October 2023.[7] The Report showed that WTO Members introduced more trade-facilitating (303) than trade-restrictive (193) measures on goods.[8] Most of the facilitation happened on the import side while most restrictions took place on the export side. In services trade, the trend was also mostly towards further liberalization. New government support measures, including various environmental impact reduction programmes, were introduced. In general, the implementation of new COVID-19 trade-related measures slowed significantly, while the number of export restrictions by WTO Members has risen since 2020. Overall, the stockpile of import restrictions implemented since 2009 showed little meaningful rollback. For 2023, trade covered by import restrictions in force was estimated at USD 2,480 billion, representing almost one-tenth of total world imports.

11._    Members discussed the latest Trade Monitoring Report during the TPRB meeting on 7 December 2023. The Report by the Director‑General on the 2024 Overview of Developments in the International Trading Environment is scheduled to be discussed by the TPRB on 5 December 2024.