The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international institution that oversees the rules for global trade among nations. It was created in 1995, superseding the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that was created in the wake of World War II.

The WTO is based on agreements signed by a majority of the world’s trading nations. The main function of the organization is to help producers of goods and services as well as exporters and importers to protect and manage their businesses.