by Alicia Nicholls
Haiti will be undergoing its 2nd Trade Policy Review this week December 2nd-4th. Haiti was last reviewed in November 2003.
The WTO’s Trade Policy Review mechanism allows for surveillance of the national trade policies and practices of each WTO member state. It is a peer review process and allows outsiders to understand the member state’s trade policies while also giving feedback on such policies.
The Trade Policy Review mechanism is a critical aspect to the monitoring of each country’s adherence to WTO trade rules and helps to ensure transparency. While all WTO members are subject to the TPR, the frequency of review is tied to that member’s contribution to world trade.
After each review there is a policy statement by the government under review and an independent report written by the WTO’s Secretariat.
Guyana’s trade policy review report was released in September, while Barbados and Dominican Republic had their reviews in January and July respectively.
Further information on the WTO’s trade policy review process may be obtained here.
