Like any organization, membership in the WTO means following the rules, and the main rule is that every member treats each other equally. Our government agrees not to restrict imports from the WTO's other member nations and they agree not to restrict our exports. What the rules are, is decided by consensus. If the WTO agrees, the guilty country must make changes to the policy or face the possibility of trade sanctions from the complainant. Canada and the United States fought to overturn a European Union ban on hormone-treated beef.
Members agree to reduce trade barriers during large-scale negotiating sessions.
There have been eight rounds of talks since 1947. An example is a recent ruling by the WTO against that icon of Canadian industry, the Auto Pact. Japan and the European Union said the deal was unfair because it imposes tariffs on imported vehicles not made by North America's three major car manufacturers. The WTO ruled that tariff discriminatory, leaving Ottawa with the option of dropping the tariffs altogether or making them the same for everyone. The federal government is still considering its options.