Does the WTO promote trade? Further evidence

In a recent notable paper, Rose (2004a) finds no evidence that membership in the GATT/WTO increases trade. However, to evaluate accurately the role of the trade organization on trade promotion, only trade in commodities and sectors that are actually under the influence of that organization should be taken into account. Therefore, in this study, we exclude agriculture, textile and oil trade from consideration, as they are not dealt with under GATT/WTO rules; as a result, the benefit of the GATT/WTO's promotional efforts is pronounced, increasing trade by approximately 30% for member countries.