Marketing
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a kind of organization and multilateral agreement which in terms of the customs duty and the trade criterion. After Second World War, the international economy was serious stagnant, the international trade was disordered. Under this situation, the International Currency and Finance conference which was held in Bretton in July, 1944 (44 national participations) suggested to establish the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (namely the World Bank) and the International Trade Organization. The purpose of these three organizations was to adjust the international trade relations, and impelled the global economy to recovery and develops.
From April, 1947 to October, the second Preparatory Committee which held in Geneva, the 23 founding contracting parties named a document as “the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade”, and 23 countries and areas signed this protocol. Then it got up to January 1, 1948 officially became effective, its headquarters were located in Geneva, the members finally developed to more than 130. (The 23 founding members were: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Ceylon, Chile, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, India, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Southern Rhodesia, Syria, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States.)
The GATT has altogether held 8 turns of multilateral trade talks from 1947 to 1994. According to incomplete statistics, in the first 7 turns of negotiations, there were nearby 100,000 kinds of commodities which the customs duty were reduced. On December 15, 1993, the 8th turn of negotiations made a more significant progress, the representatives prepared “the last document”. The document stipulated that they would establish the World Trade Organization; a substitute of temporary organization of the GATT. On December 12, 1995, the 128 members of GATT held...
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