This paper, authored by Arvind Subramanian and Shang-Jin Wei, challenges the notion that the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO), have been ineffective in promoting global trade. The authors present robust evidence that the WTO has had a significant and positive impact on trade, though this impact has been uneven. They find that membership in the WTO has been associated with a substantial increase in imports for industrial countries, estimated at about 44% of world trade, primarily due to tariff reductions. However, the same has not been true for developing country members, although those that joined after the Uruguay Round have benefited from increased imports. The paper also highlights asymmetric impacts between sectors, such as agriculture and textiles, where the WTO has been less effective. The authors refine the econometric specification to incorporate country fixed effects and account for these asymmetries, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the WTO's trade-promoting effects. The results suggest that the WTO has played a crucial role in promoting trade, particularly for industrial countries, but the impact varies significantly across different groups of countries and sectors.This paper, authored by Arvind Subramanian and Shang-Jin Wei, challenges the notion that the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO), have been ineffective in promoting global trade. The authors present robust evidence that the WTO has had a significant and positive impact on trade, though this impact has been uneven. They find that membership in the WTO has been associated with a substantial increase in imports for industrial countries, estimated at about 44% of world trade, primarily due to tariff reductions. However, the same has not been true for developing country members, although those that joined after the Uruguay Round have benefited from increased imports. The paper also highlights asymmetric impacts between sectors, such as agriculture and textiles, where the WTO has been less effective. The authors refine the econometric specification to incorporate country fixed effects and account for these asymmetries, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the WTO's trade-promoting effects. The results suggest that the WTO has played a crucial role in promoting trade, particularly for industrial countries, but the impact varies significantly across different groups of countries and sectors.