| Summary: | The World Trade Organization (WTO), established on 1 January
1995 as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT), has played an important role in promoting global
free trade. The implementation of its agreements, however, has
not been smooth and easy. In fact this has been particularly difficult
for developing countries, since they are expected to be on a
level playing field with the developed countries. After more than
a decade of existence, it is worth looking at the WTO's impact
on developing countries, particularly Muslim countries. This
paper focuses mainly on the performance ofmerchandise trade of
Muslim countries after they joined the WTO. I first analyze their
participation in world merchandise trade and highlight their trade
characteristics in general. This is then followed by a short discussion
on the implications of WTO agreements on Muslim countries
and some recommendations on how to face this challenge.
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