World Trade Organization (WTO) Members

WTO members consist of 164 distinct nations. That is in addition to 24 observer governments (countries moving through the process of becoming members). There are only 16 countries who are neither World Trade Organization members nor observers. WTO members include the world’s largest and most advanced economies, like the United States, as well as small and developing nations, like Afghanistan.

Most countries trade on “WTO terms” with at least a few nations around the world. This is because any WTO members who conduct trade with another nation with whom they have no additional trade agreement are said to be doing business on WTO terms. In other words, any trade conducted by a World Trade Organization member that occurs outside of a trade agreement is done on WTO terms.