Principle of Fair Trade

Exporters in all member countries shall not take unfair trading measures or distort international trade competition. Most importantly, they shall not take measures such as dumping goods to and subsidizing sales in other countries.

The WTO emphasizes that importing countries can take anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures according to the accusations from impacted domestic industries when the dumping and subsidization actions by other countries bring about real losses or post material threats.

Principle of Tariff Cut

Tariff cut is always the major topic for discussion in multilateral international negotiations. The negotiations of tariff cuts mainly take place between major suppliers of certain products and major importers, and other countries can also take part in these negotiations. The results from multilateral tariff cut negotiations are applied to other member countries according to the MFN treatment (most-favored nation treatment).

Principle of Transparency

The WTO requires member countries to publish, as soon as possible, their laws, regulations, administrative rules and juridical ruling on foreign trade in force so as to make them familiar to other member governments and traders. The existing agreements that were signed between different governments or governmental organizations of member countries and impact the international trade policies shall also be published. All member countries shall implement their laws, regulations, administrative rules and juridical ruling uniformly, fairly and reasonably in their respective territories.

Principle of National Trading Enterprises

The WTO stipulates that national trading enterprises shall only take commercial considerations as standards and provide part of opportunities for other enterprises to take part in the purchase or sales.

Principle of Non-Discrimination in Trade

A country should not discriminate between its trading partners (they are all, equally, granted "most-favored-nation" or MFN status); and it should not discriminate between its own and foreign products, services or nationals (they are given "national treatment").

Principle of Forbidding Quantity Limitation Measures

In terms of trading of goods, the WTO only permits tariff protection measures and ban other non-tariff trade barriers especially quantity limiting measures such as setting up quotas and issuing licenses. However, there are some exceptions. For instance, countries with imbalances in international payments are allowed to implement quantity limitations and fledgling industries in developing countries also enjoy protection.