Accessions to the WTO in Progress

Any state or customs territory having full autonomy in the conduct of its trade policies may become a Member of the WTO. All WTO Members must agree on the terms of the accession. This is done through the establishment of a working party of WTO Members and through a process of negotiations.

Multilateral Process

The core documentary basis of accession negotiations consists of (i) the Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime; (ii) the Factual Summary of Points Raised; (iii) the draft Report of the Working Party; and (iv) the draft accession package. The "Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime" is prepared by the Acceding Government and contains the factual information on the trade regime needed for activating the Working Party process. It is the basis for the examination of the applicant's foreign trade regime by Members. The next significant step in the multilateral process in terms of documentation is the preparation by the Secretariat of the "Factual Summary of Points Raised". This informal document summarizes the discussions that have taken place in the Working Party. The Factual Summary evolves into the draft "Report of the Working Party", which incorporates the specific terms of accession negotiated by Members and the Acceding Government. In some cases, an "Elements of a draft Report" is prepared as an intermediate step between the Factual Summary and the draft Working Party Report. 

Bilateral Negotiations

Bilateral negotiations on market access proceed in parallel to the multilateral Working Party process and lead to the preparation of consolidated draft Schedules on goods and services by the Secretariat. The Accession Package (draft Report, with annexed draft Schedules on goods and services) is adopted by the Working Party and forwarded to the General Council.

 Latest Development

29 economies are in the process of accession to the WTO. Among them, the WTO membership of four acceding economies (namely the Russian Federation, Samoa, Vanuatu and Montenegro) was approved in 2011. They would become fully-fledged WTO Members after they notify to the WTO the ratification of their respective accession packages.

Of particular note, the Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation, which was established in June 1993, finalised the Working Party Report together with the Protocol of Accession and Schedules of Concessions and Commitments in its formal meeting on 10 November 2011. With approval of the accession documents at the 8th Ministerial Conference in Geneva on 16 December 2011, the Russian Federation will have to ratify its accession within 220 days. She will become a fully-fledged WTO Member 30 days after it notifies the ratification to the WTO.

For detailed information about the latest development of ongoing accessions, please refer to the website of the WTO. Please contact the Multilateral Division of the Trade and Industry Department (via fax: 2390 7479 or e-mail: mdiv1@tid.gov.hk) if you have any comments/ suggestions or if you need additional information.