Trade and Transfer of Technology

The document outlines the efforts of the WTO Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology (WGTTT) to increase technology flows to developing countries. It highlights a divide between developing nations, who seek the full implementation of technology transfer clauses and capacity-building, and developed nations, such as the US, which prefer an analytical approach that does not interfere with existing WTO obligations. The briefing also details the role of the TRIPS Agreement, specifically Article 66.2 regarding incentives for least-developed countries, and the differing perspectives of the EU, Canada, Brazil, and China on the mechanisms of technology transfer.

• The Doha Ministerial Declaration established a binding mandate for WTO Members to examine the relationship between trade and technology transfer through the creation of the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology (WGTTT).
• Developing countries advocate for five primary goals: the effective implementation of technology transfer (ToT) clauses in WTO Agreements, flexibility for active country measures to encourage flows, the examination of restrictive practices via competition policy, increased technical co-operation, and capacity-building.
• The European Union focuses on defining technology transfer and identifying its channels, which it identifies as investment, trade in services, trade in goods, licensing of intellectual property rights (IPRs), government procurement, development cooperation, and multilateral environmental agreements.
• The United States has opposed a prescriptive mandate for the WGTTT, arguing that the group is not obligated to provide recommendations regarding WTO Agreement provisions and should instead remain in an 'analytical mode'.
• Under Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement, developed countries are mandated to provide incentives to their enterprises and institutions to promote technology transfer to least-developed countries. By December 6, 2002, reports on these incentives were submitted by Australia, Canada, the EU and its member states, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.
• Brazil has criticized the TRIPS Agreement's utility for technology transfer, specifically citing the negative impact of developed country public funding for research and development on the competitiveness of developing nations.

APA

Baumuller, H., Cameron, H., Halle, A., Meléndez-Ortiz, R., Mosoti, V., Primack, D., Sugathan, M., Vivas, D., & Werth, A. (2003). Trade and Transfer of Technology. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_trade_tech.pdf

Chicago

Baumuller, Heike, Hugo Cameron, Anja Halle, Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Victor Mosoti, David Primack, Mahesh Sugathan, David Vivas, and Alexander Werth. Trade and Transfer of Technology. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2003. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_trade_tech.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baumuller |first1=Heike |last2=Cameron |first2=Hugo |last3=Halle |first3=Anja |last4=Meléndez-Ortiz |first4=Ricardo |last5=Mosoti |first5=Victor |last6=Primack |first6=David |last7=Sugathan |first7=Mahesh |last8=Vivas |first8=David |last9=Werth |first9=Alexander |title=Trade and Transfer of Technology |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2003 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_trade_tech.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baumuller2003trade, author = {Baumuller, Heike and Cameron, Hugo and Halle, Anja and Meléndez-Ortiz, Ricardo and Mosoti, Victor and Primack, David and Sugathan, Mahesh and Vivas, David and Werth, Alexander}, title = {{Trade and Transfer of Technology}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2003}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_trade_tech.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }