Trade Agreements
Our Commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Overview
Mauritius has been a Member of the WTO since its inception in 1995. The WTO built up on the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) of which Mauritius was a Member since 1970.
The WTO Agreements
- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
- General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
- Trade Related-Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
Trade Policy Review
As a member of the WTO, Mauritius is subject to surveillance of national trade policies by the WTO. In this context, a Trade Policy Review (TPR) is carried out every 5 years by officials of the WTO.
The latest Trade Policy Review was published in 2014 and highlights the commitment of Mauritius to a continuous economic reform process aimed at further improving its economic and doing business climate; increasing economic resilience and more efficient use of its limited resources.
More information on TPR can be obtained from WTO - Latest Trade Policy Reviews.
Main Principles of the WTO
Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) Treatment : Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. Thus, if one trading partner is granted a special treatment such as lower customs duties, the same has to be done for all other WTO members, except when they have signed a bilateral or regional trade agreement.
National Treatment Rule : Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally — at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same taxes and legislation should apply to foreign and domestic goods & services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents.
The Doha Development Round
The Doha Round is the latest round of trade negotiations among the WTO membership. Its aim is to achieve major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules.
The work programme covers about 20 areas of trade and endeavours to improve the trading prospects of developing countries. More information can be obtained from: The Doha Agenda.
Useful Links
Australia
June 1995
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
