Course Modules

Module 1: Foundations of the WTO System and Agreements

• History, principles, and objectives of the WTO

• Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) and National Treatment principles

• Overview of WTO agreements: GATT, GATS, TRIPS

• Decision-making structures and dispute settlement

• Case Study: WTO dispute involving agricultural subsidies

Module 2: Market Access and Tariff Commitments

• Tariff schedules and binding commitments

• Tariff reduction negotiations and implications

• Non-tariff barriers and their regulation

• Workshop: Analyze a member’s tariff commitments

Module 3: Agriculture and Trade-Related Aspects

• WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)

• Domestic support, export subsidies, and market access

• Special and differential treatment for developing countries

• Exercise: Evaluate the impact of subsidy reforms

Module 4: Trade in Services and Intellectual Property Rights

• GATS framework and service sector liberalization

• TRIPS agreement: patents, copyrights, and enforcement

• Balancing public interest and intellectual property protection

• Case Study: TRIPS and access to essential medicines

Module 5: Trade Remedies and Safeguard Measures

• Anti-dumping, countervailing duties, and safeguards

• Legal requirements and investigation procedures

• Workshop: Draft a safeguard investigation outline

Module 6: Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures

• SPS and TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) agreements

• Risk assessment and standards compliance

• Exercise: Review SPS requirements for food exports

Module 7: Dispute Settlement Mechanism

• Stages of dispute settlement: consultations, panels, and appeals

• Role of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)

• Simulation: Mock WTO dispute panel session

Module 8: Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM)

• Objectives and procedures of TPRM

• Using TPRM reports for policy analysis

• Workshop: Analyze a WTO member’s trade policy review

Module 9: Regional Trade Agreements vs. Multilateral Rules

• WTO rules on regional integration

• Conflicts between RTAs and WTO commitments

• Case Study: Regional trade agreements under WTO scrutiny

Module 10: Practical Trade Policy Analysis Tools

• Using economic models to assess trade policy impacts

• Data sources: WTO, UNCTAD, World Bank databases

• Exercise: Conduct a tariff impact analysis for a specific sector