The Obstacles to Iran's Permanent Membership in the World Trade Organization

The aim of the present research is to examine the obstacles existing in Iran's laws for accepting commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The research method is descriptive-analytical, and the results indicate that Iran's problems in joining the WTO stem from both internal and external factors. Apart from the current problems and instabilities prevailing in Iran's economy, some domestic laws also fail to align with WTO regulations. For instance, Article 44 of the Constitution, which enforces state ownership and monopolies in significant sectors such as industries, mines, banking, radio and television, shipping, aviation, etc., underscores the overbearing presence of government and semi-government entities in the economy, while relegating the private sector to a marginalized role in economic activities. Furthermore, due to the absence of a single exchange rate, regulations related to foreign insurances, insufficient support for foreign investment in Iran and high import tariffs, some other domestic laws not only fail to conform to WTO regulations but also contradict them significantly. In Iran, due to access to foreign currency resources derived from oil exports, the foreign trade sector has not developed properly and proportionately to the needs, resulting in various problems. The emergence of these issues and the potential decrease in oil export revenues in the future underscore the significance of the foreign trade sector and its presence in global markets. Therefore, increasing production, enhancing export capabilities and competitiveness on a global scale, and benefiting from the facilities of the WTO are raised as necessities.