As stated above, this was perhaps the most significant contribution of the Uruguay Round. It established a clear system in which countries can settle trade disputes. While the 1994 agreement made enormous strides in the rules of international trade, several unanswered questions remain. Big agricultural exporting countries, such as the U.S., will be pressing hard for reductions in restrictions on farm trade while many importing countries will be resisting. Trade in Services Since 1994, while key agreements have been reached concerning trade in telecommunications and financial services, negotiations have still to be carried out for other services.
Electronic commerce is a new issue for the agenda in Seattle.
More and more of the goods consumers and companies buy are obtained over the Internet. Several regulatory problems arise in such transactions. For example, illegal copying of recordings or falsely representing oneself as a certain manufacturer are more easily accomplished over the Internet. Legitimate businesses want to see stronger regulations against piracy of this kind. Examples of other topics business would like to see discussed are anti-dumping measures, rules affecting investment, and government procurement.