Which 1947 agreement formed the original framework for reducing tariffs in world trade?

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, known as GATT, formed the original postwar framework for reducing tariffs in world trade in 1947.

GATT was signed in Geneva on 30 October 1947 and entered into force on 1 January 1948. It was designed as an interim arrangement because a proposed International Trade Organization was not established. GATT focused mainly on trade in goods and promoted principles such as most-favoured-nation treatment and tariff concessions.

The agreement operated through successive negotiating rounds. The Kennedy Round addressed tariffs and anti-dumping measures, while the Uruguay Round expanded the system toward services, intellectual property and stronger institutional rules.

GATT was not itself a permanent organization like the WTO. When the WTO began in 1995, the original goods rules were incorporated into GATT 1994 within the new system. This is why references to “GATT” can mean either the historical agreement or the WTO’s goods-trade framework, depending on context.