Abstract

After finalizing the JCPOA working framework with the world powers in July, given the critical role of global economic integration in Iran’s new economic strategy, finalizing WTO membership has become a top priority for the Iranian government. As the largest non-member economy in the world, Iran’s full membership will be a win-win situation for the global economy. Iran applied for WTO membership in July 1996, but progress has been glacial. The WTO only began to consider its membership in 2005and Iran provided related documents detailing its foreign trade regime four years later. While the main obstacles for Iran to join the WTO is political rather than technical, however, fundamental changes are required to facilitate Iran’s acceptance in WTO.  To complete its accession bid, Iran needs to undertake transformative measures to make its trade regime WTO-compliant. These steps include elimination or reduction of certain types of subsidies, lowering of tariffs, greater transparency about a wide range of policies including rules for importing and exporting goods as well as observing copyright laws. Therefore, Institute for Trade Studies and Research in collaboration with international partners such as UNCTAD, WCO, and ITC has initiated the “Supporting Studies and Documents for WTO Accession” research working group, a broad project which focuses on detailing requirements of Iran’s accession to WTO and formulating solutions in this regard.