Impact,+outlook

Trade facilitation is one of the many negotiating issues of the Doha Round. Other negotiating issues are, inter alia, agriculture, trade in services. All the Doha Round trade issues are part of one negotiating package. By way of the "single undertaking", WTO members agree that nothing is agreed that this package is negotiated as a whole with the premise that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed by everyone". Hence, the successful conclusion of the negotiations on trade facilitation is dependent on negotiating success in all of the Doha Round areas The trade facilitation negotiations may well result in a set of new legal obligations that will form a new WTO agreement on trade facilitation. Although this is the most likely approach, there are other possible ways to give legal effect to the negotiating results. It would be possible to amend the existing GATT Articles or to adopt a ministerial decision that provides an interpretation of existing provisions in case of uncertainty rather than drafting a new agreement. The WTO negotiations however had an impact that goes well beyond a potential new WTO agreement. =Increase of technical assistance and awareness= The negotiating process itself has a positive impact on the advancement of trade facilitation. Trade facilitation has gained more attention and awareness globally and countries are more committed to the goal of trade facilitation worldwide. As a result technical assistance funds in this area has increased and the reform willingness has grown worldwide, and particularly for least developed countries and low and middle income countries (*1) The OECD figures below show the overall increase in trade facilitation related technical assistance from 28 million USDollar in 2002 to 264 million USDollar in 2009. Assistance for LDCs has grown from 180'000 USDollar to 25 million US Dollar in the same timeframe and to Low and Middle income countries from 1.6 million USDollar to 43 million USDollar.

As part of the negotiating process, developing countries have undertaken a needs assessment. These needs assessments were conducted as multi-stakeholder consultations and offered a platform for trade-government consultation. Following the needs assessments, some countries have formalised the mixed trade-government groups in negotiating support groups. Against the background of the discussion of trade facilitation at the WTO, trade facilitation relevant work of other organisations, such as the WCO and UNECE, has also gained in importance and impetus. The multilateral process at the WTO is only a complement to this work and the ongoing regional and national trade facilitation efforts. It could however, if the negotiations lead to a successful outcome, contribute in keeping the attention high on the issue and providing a global forum for dialogue over solutions and best practices.

(*1) OECD, AfTstatistics, accessed January 2012