The World Trade Organisation (WTO) [opens a new website] was set up in 1995 and has 151 member countries. [opens a new website]

It operates a system of trade rules between nations. It is an organisation for liberalising trade, a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements and a place for them to settle trade disputes.

Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments go to try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other, and which provides an important arbitration service for international trade disputes.

The UK is a member of the WTO in its own right but, for all practical purposes, we work through our membership of the European Union. [opens a new website]

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) [opens a new website] leads on UK trade negotiations.

The WTO also monitors national trade policies and provides technical assistance and training to developing countries. Virtually all decisions in the WTO are taken by consensus among the member countries and are ratified by members' parliaments.