WTO launches database of Preferential Trade Agreements

After four years of negotiations and a year of work by World Trade Organisation members on implementation measures and data collection, the WTO yesterday launched a new publicly available database on non-reciprocal preferential schemes.
The Transparency Mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements is a WTO agreement concluded in December 2010 which aims to increase members’ and the public’s understanding about the legal nature, history and background of each preferential trade arrangement (PTA), the range of products covered and the types of preferential treatment offered.
Each PTA also features lists of those countries eligible to receive preferential market access. The Transparency Mechanism and the PTA database reflect the WTO’s continuing efforts and broader aim to enhance transparency in trade policy, according to a statement released yesterday.