Iran's Long Journey to Join the World Trade Organization

According to Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, the groundwork for Iran's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been prepared. Mir Ali Hosseini asked economist Fereydoun Khavand if a specific timeline has been predicted for Iran's entry into this organization. Fereydoun Khavand stated that Iran still has a long way to go to join the WTO, which plays a crucial role in regulating international trade rules among countries and is one of the three powerful economic organizations globally, alongside the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Since the establishment of this organization in 1995, 161 countries have joined, and among the countries that have remained outside this organization for the past twenty years, Iran has the largest economy. In the Middle East, apart from Iran and Iraq, all other countries are members of this organization. Iran has made twenty-one attempts to join the WTO over the past twenty years, and finally, in 2005, it was accepted as an observer member. A 'working group for accession' was even formed to review Iran's membership request, but the process was completely halted due to the escalation of international tensions and sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. If the nuclear issue is resolved and sanctions are lifted, will the doors of the WTO open for Iran? If sanctions are lifted, it would naturally create a better environment for Iran's accession to the organization. However, the accession process to the WTO is typically lengthy, as negotiations must be conducted with numerous member powers. Additionally, Iran must align its trade system with the treaties of this organization, including trade tariffs and industrial property rights. One of the most significant problems in Iran's economic policymaking is the slow decision-making process and endless discussions, including debates about the correctness of Iran's accession to the WTO. Over the past twenty years, several countries have become giants in international trade, while Iran has remained stagnant at the conference level. What position does Iran hold in international trade? The best source for this is the statistics published by the WTO. In its latest statistical report, the organization states that Iran had a total export of $82 billion in 2013, including both oil and non-oil exports, which accounted for four-tenths of a percent of total world exports, even less than Iraq's share of five-tenths of a percent. In comparison, Turkey's share in international trade that same year was exactly twice that of Iran.