WTO | 10 misunderstandings - 9. Weak forced to join?

THE 10 MISUNDERSTANDINGS
1. WTO dictates?
2. Blindly for trade?
3. Ignores development?
4. Anti-green?
5. Anti-health?
6. Wrecks jobs?
7. Small left out?
8. Tool of lobbies?
9. Weak forced to join?
10. Undemocratic?

See also:
> The WTO in Brief
> 10 benefits
> Understanding the WTO

There is a queue of prospective new members

Countries willingly want to join

The reasons are positive rather than negative. They lie in the WTO’s key principles, such as non-discrimination and transparency. By joining the WTO, even a small country automatically enjoys the benefits that all WTO members grant to each other. And small countries have won dispute cases against rich countries — they would not have been able to do so outside the WTO.

The alternative would be to negotiate bilateral trade agreements with each trading partner. That could even include regularly negotiating the renewal of commitments to treat trading partners as equals.

For this, governments would need more resources, a serious problem for small countries. And in bilateral negotiations smaller countries are weaker.

By joining the WTO, small countries can also increase their bargaining power by forming alliances with other countries that have common interests.

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