Being a member of the WTO is more difficult than entering in - FBK experts

On February 26, 2013 in Moscow there was held a regular session of the FBK Economic Club “Russia in the WTO: the first results” where the experts summed up the half-year membership in the World Trade Organization.  (Formally Russia became the 156th WTO member on August 22, 2012).  

Opening  the session Igor Nikolaev,  the director of the FBK Strategic Analysis Department, has noted that there were given different explanations  for purpose of Russia’s joining the WTO: from idea of becoming a legally competent participant  in global trade and raising  the  competition level  in the domestic economy up to desire for joining “the top-flight club” . «Special effect of entering the WTO was not felt by the Russians because too little time has passed and because 33 percent of charges that were reduced on the date of entering the WTO are a mere return to the pre-crisis level», - the expert considers.  At the same time he paid attention to the whole “bouquet” of protective measures assumed by Russia just after joining the WTO: introducing the heat-recovery fee for imported cars, duties for imported harvesting technical equipment, decision to raise the rates of duties for dairy products and others. “Intensification of efforts against free trade and assuming appropriate measures levels advantages and benefits gained by Russia due to its joining the WTO”, - I. Nikolaev has summarized.  
Boris Vishnevskiy, executive secretary of the Russian  Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs working  group  having created on the subject of the RF joining the WTO and reforming customs policy, named among the major recent  blunders a weak informing about positive prospects that open due to joining the WTO. At the same time he expressed his hope that by means of the WTO instruments we would manage to get rid of unprofitable enterprises the number of which is about 50 percent in some regions.  
   
Aleksey Portanskiy,   the Director of the Information Bureau on joining Russia to the WTO, the professor of Higher School of Economics, expressed his assurance: to be a member of the WTO is much more difficult than to join it. «Forthcoming time of the WTO membership for Russia will be very complicated.  We have to realize   a fact that  we are not able to do a great deal, we need learning a lot, although we shall not manage to train personnel promptly», - the expert noticed. He has also expressed the confidence that an effective membership in the WTO was possible just provided   Russia would choose upgrading way of development:  «If inertial or primary script prevails in here, we shall be able to gain nothing from the WTO membership.  That is possible to sell hydrocarbons and other raw materials without the WTO».  

Oleg Bucklemeshev, the associate professor of the economic faculty of Moscow State University, has reminded that manufacturers are more or less at a disadvantage as they would have to be faced with tougher competition with foreign colleagues but consumers would win as for the same reason they would be able to get cheaper and more qualitative goods and services.  «Recent six months have shown that we had  many parties protecting ones or other  manufacturers  but there was not  any party  protecting customers», - the economist has  stated.  At the same time it seems to him that joining the WTO is the best economic event of the recent year:  “In the long-term prospect the WTO will hedge us from unexpected actions that we can ourselves spring as a surprise with protective purpose”.  

Nikita Maslennikov, the adviser of the Institute of Contemporary Development has reminded that before joining the WTO the Russian manufactures had lost from $2.5 milliard to $4.0 milliard because of the WTO antidumping procedures. “Four procedures were automatically canceled after joining the WTO. But about ninety ones have continued. It is necessary to fight for their repeal and defend own interests just within the WTO”. At the same time in according to the expert joining the World Trade organization is “a historic opportunity to correct a lot of things in Russian economy structure”. “In my opinion priming the structural changes in economy for the better is that positive from joining the WTO which is already starting to effect”,- N. Maslennikov has noted.