Discussion Questions – Need in 8 hours

Go to the WTO’s home page (www.wto.org)

Please give a brief history of the WTO.  When was the WTO founded?  What are its primary functions?  What are the main benefits of membership?  Next, click on “documents and resources.”  

Next, click on “statistics,” and then click on “Trade in Merchandise and Services.”  Finally, click on “world and regional export profiles” before performing the following:

1) Use the “value” measure of trade to compare regions of the world listed in the pop-up menu (you can choose which regions you’d like to compare).  Among the regions you have chosen to compare, which regions have recently experienced the greatest growth in international trade flows?  The least?  In which regions has growth in international trade been more variable?  The least?

2) Using the “volume” measure of trade, which regions of the world have recently experienced the greatest growth in international trade flows?  The least growth?  In which regions has international trade been most variable?  Lest variable?  Does is matter which measure of trade – value versus income – is used? 
Finally, please engage your peers in a frequent, consistent discussion that demonstrates your knowledge of key concepts in module 3 – e.g., link key ideas in our “Who is Us? Who is Them” article to our WTO activity.  Please feel free to emphasize what you found most interesting!