Examine the debate that took place in the World Trade Organisation for the developing countries.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:58 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The major debate in the WTO regarding developing countries centres on unfair trade practices by developed nations.
- WTO rules forced developing countries like India to remove trade barriers, while developed countries like the US continued to retain their own barriers.
- The US government gives massive subsidies to its farmers, allowing them to sell farm products at abnormally low prices in other country markets, harming farmers in developing nations.
- Developing countries argued: "We reduced trade barriers as per WTO rules, but you have continued to support your farmers. You asked our governments to stop supporting our farmers, but you are doing so yourselves. Is this free and fair trade?"
Source: World Trade Organisation, Chapter 4
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Explanation
The examiner expects three clear points: (1) WTO's double standard — rules applied unequally, (2) the specific example of US agricultural subsidies and their impact, and (3) the demand/argument raised by developing countries. Using the direct quote from the textbook as the developing countries' argument scores well. Avoid going beyond the textbook content for this question.