世贸组织的隐藏价值：多边贸易体系如何为企业提供关税以外的服务

The WTO’shidden value How the multilateral tradingsystem delivers for business Paper Copyright © 2025 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and encourages its reproduction and dissemination subject to the following: •ICC must be cited as the source and copyright holder mentioning the title of the document,© International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the publication year.•Express written permission must be obtained for any modification, adaptation or translation,for any commercial use, and for use in any manner that implies that another organisation Contents Executive summary 4IIntroduction6IIThe framework that holds global trade together7IIIWhat the WTO delivers every day9Reducing uncertainty for tariff levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Simplifying regulatory compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Moving goods faster and cheaper through borders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Overcoming services and digital trade barriers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Annex: The value of WTO trade information tools for business Executive summary The full value of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rarely makes headlines. Yet every shipmentthat clears a border, every firm that exports safely, and every investor who bets on a foreign marketdepends on its rules — even if they’ve never read them. The WTO provides the invisible infrastructure Thirty years after its creation, many overlook how deeply prosperity relies on this quiet architecture.Too often, the WTO is judged by its most dramatic moments — the negotiations that stall or thedisputes that divide. Yet its strength also lies in the daily, technical work that sustains global commerce: Taken together, these functions reveal the WTO’s deeper value — the stability and predictability thatenable governments and businesses to trade, invest and grow at scale. Key insights The WTO anchors the global trading systemIt provides the legal and institutionalframework that connects thousands of national regulations, standards and trade The WTO provides certainty and stability, facilitating global trade. The day-to-dayagreements and decisions among WTO Members, which take place across its Councils The scope of the WTO is comprehensive. It covers both trade in goods and services,with services alone representing two-thirds of global GDP, as well as the protection of The WTO connects global standardsthrough disciplines on national regulations toensure that they reflect international norms. This protects consumers while facilitatinginteroperability and keeping markets open and predictable for businesses of all sizes. The WTO keeps trade in goods flowing efficiently across borders. TheTrade FacilitationAgreement (TFA)and related customs instruments reduce trade costs by up to 5%, The WTO facilitates investment flowsby securing predictable market conditions for The WTO protects innovation and intellectual property. TheTRIPS Agreementguarantees baseline legal protection for patents, trademarks and copyrights The WTO opens trillion-dollar procurement markets. TheGovernment ProcurementAgreement (GPA)grants non-discriminatory access to public contracts worth US$ 1.7 The WTO provides for enforceability of obligationsleading to high levels of overallcompliance among 166 members — even as work continues to address the current The WTO delivers actionable business intelligence. WTO transparency tools anddata platforms convert governmental notifications into practical market intelligence, Some issues can only be solved multilaterally. Complex problems such as subsidies orcross-border data rules cannot be effectively managed through bilateral or regionaldeals alone. This results in fragmented and divergent regulations that inhibit trade. What’s at stake The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), representing more than 45 million businesses in over170 countries, has long advocated on the urgent need for reform of the WTO and how new rules mustbe written to ensure it continues to serve the needs of businesses, the ultimate end-users of the global The stability provided by the WTO is not diplomatic symbolism — it is an economic necessity thatdetermines national competitiveness, growth and resilience. According to independent economicmodelling by Oxford Economics commissioned by ICC, if the WTO were to fail, it would cause a 33% As members pursue reform, they must preserve and strengthen the WTO’s hidden value — the quiet,technical machinery that keeps global trade predictable and open while revitalising the global trading I.Introduction The World Trade Organization’s true value rarely makes headlinesYet every shipment that clearsa border, every firm that exports safely and every in