Democracy Rules

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an UN-affiliated organization that attempts to promote and supervise international trade. About 95% of all global trade is conducted between nations affiliated with the WTO. It regulates trade between participating countries, negotiates trade agreements, resolves disputes and enforces participants' adherence to WTO agreements. The WTO uses the principles of free-market capitalism when ruling whether a member state is compliant with its policies. Its panels, composed of government and industry representatives, decide whether a nation’s laws are a “barrier to trade” and in violation of free trade agreements.

WTO’s “most favored nation” provision requires member states to treat each other equally. It also requires member nations to conform to many regulations such as the self-reporting of subsidies their governments provide to their industries, and whether or not they consider themselves to be a developing nation. The WTO allow “special and differential” treatment to developing countries, giving them a degree leeway with conforming to its rules such as extending deadlines to lower trade barriers. The European Union, Japan and the U.S. have complained that some countries, like China, falsely claim to be developing nations while possessing the second largest economy in the world. They also claim the subsidies China pays its industries give them an uncompetitive advantage in the global marketplace.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.6627 - Enforcing Accountability and Transparency in International Trade Act (116th Congress 2019-2020)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Tim Burchett (TN)

I oppose reforming current World Trade Organization policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA).
I support pursuing a United States strategy with respect to the World Trade Organization to: 1.) Facilitate the full implementation of agreements reached by the WTO. 2.) Enable the maximum benefits from trade to accrue to those members of the World Trade Organization that face the greatest difficulty integrating into the WTO multilateral trading system. 3.) Ensure that any member of the WTO that meets all of the following criteria does not receive “special and differential” treatment in current or future agreements of the WTO if: (A) The member is ranked by the World Bank as among one of the top 10 economies in the world based on nominal gross domestic product. (B) The member is also a member of the Group of 20. (C) The member is also a member of, or has begun the accession process to, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Tim Burchett (TN) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» No issues were voted

I support pursuing a United States strategy with respect to the World Trade Organization to: 1.) Facilitate the full implementation of agreements reached by the WTO. 2.) Enable the maximum benefits from trade to accrue to those members of the World Trade Organization that face the greatest difficulty integrating into the WTO multilateral trading system. 3.) Ensure that any member of the WTO that meets all of the following criteria does not receive “special and differential” treatment in current or future agreements of the WTO if: (A) The member is ranked by the World Bank as among one of the top 10 economies in the world based on nominal gross domestic product. (B) The member is also a member of the Group of 20. (C) The member is also a member of, or has begun the accession process to, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Tim Burchett (TN) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.