WT/GC/245  
 
16 March 2022  
(22-2317) Page: 1/2 
General Council  Original: English  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION  
The following communication, dated 15 March 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the Russian Federation.  
 
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The Russian Federation would like to draw the attention of WTO Members to dangers looming over 
the multilateral trading system because of the recent aggressive and politically motivated trade 
restrictive actions of certain Members.  
 
Instead of encouraging gradual normalizing of international trade, wh ich is essential for post -
pandemic economic recovery, those Members have been progressively applying unilateral trade 
measures aimed at undermining the economies of Russia and its neighbors. Recently, the scale of 
reckless "economic war " launched  by these Members has increased to the breaking point leading to 
collateral damage across the globe.  
 
Direct violations of the basic WTO rules by these Members have put severe pressure on global supply 
chains, which are still fragile after the pandemic, and jeopardi zing the global food security. We are 
witnessing the immediate consequences of trade and economic restrictions – spiking prices for basic 
energy resources, minerals, and foodstuff. Unfortunately, as the IMF warned, the most vulnerable 
households and busine sses across the globe will bear the main burden of such inflationary effects.  
 
These ramifications could have been avoided if the mentioned countries had not breached the basic 
WTO rules. In particular, the following measures are clearly inconsistent with  the relevant provisions 
of the GATT and GATS:  
 
• implementation of import tariffs above MFN rates;  
• import ban on Russian oil and oil refining products, as well as intentions to curb imports 
of other energy resources, such as natural gas and coal;  
• restrictions on export to Russia of various goods, including oil refining equipment and 
technologies, foodstuff and industrial consumer goods;  
• blocking of Russian financial institutions, including freezing substantial part of its currency 
reserves, and tra nsportation services companies;  
• prohibition of new investment in the Russian Federation, including in the energy sector in 
the Russian Federation;  
• extreme export controls or total prohibition of trade in other goods and technologies critical 
for economic d evelopment.  
We are deeply disturbed by the relevant developments in the WTO, which pave the way to a complete 
dismantling of the rules -based multilateral trading system.  
 
First, there are voices proposing to "expel " Russia from the WTO or to suspend its me mbership 's 
rights against the rules of the WTO which do not provide for such actions.  
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  Second, unilateral unjustified withdrawal of MFN treatment for Russian goods and services or even 
public discussion about revocation of this treatment severely defies th e fundamental WTO principle 
of non -discrimination. The actions of Canada and some other countries have already resulted in their 
de facto  abandonment of WTO legal system due to purely political concerns. Eventually, all Members 
will be affected if we get i nto a vicious circle of introducing mutual retaliatory measures, thereby 
making the application of WTO agreements largely sporadic and, therefore, deficient.  
 
Third, attempts to isolate Russia from the negotiating and regular WTO activities would lead to 
paralysis of the basic functions of the WTO, namely providing the forum for trade negotiations and 
administering trade agreements. Such attempt to block the negotiation process for political reasons 
looks more like an excuse to hide their inability or unwil lingness to seek compromises on substantive 
issues on the negotiating table.  
 
And, fourth, the recent statements by representatives of some Members demonstrate clear intention 
to introduce the issue of territoriality into the framework of the WTO. This tre nd is quite disturbing. 
Since its creation in 1947, the GATT/WTO system has been successfully avoiding any links of that 
issue with trade, notwithstanding the existence of a number of territorial conflicts and disputes 
across the globe, including among Mem bers. However, now some Members have radically changed 
their stance, thus creating another systemic risk for the organization.  
 
We should remember that the WTO, as the centerpiece of the multilateral trading system, was 
created to raise standards of living  and stimulate economic development. The WTO has proved to 
be an organization that is primarily guided by economic considerations and solid legal standards. 
Regrettably, an ever -increasing pressure for its politization has already brought numerous 
ineffici encies and now threatens the existence and effectiveness of the organization and the 
multilateral trading system.  
 
The Russian Federation is convinced that the only way of dealing with the current crisis is to talk 
economics, not politics, and prevent the violations of multilaterally agreed trade rules through 
unilateral means. Otherwise, world markets and economies of many Members will continue to suffer.  
 
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