One Year after Russia’s WTO Accession: Time for Reform

Russia entered the World Trade Organisation (WTO) about a year ago. In September this year Russia also joined the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA). Both moves have been necessary for Russia to provide transparency in its trade policy and, above all, improve market access for foreign providers. However, while it is evident that the real benefits of Russia’s WTO accession will emerge in the long run, improving the business environment by joining the multilateral trading system will not be a panacea. Russia will have to do much more to improve its business opportunities, especially if it wants to exploit its claimed comparative advantage in technological-intensive products.