Jordan acceded to the WTO in 1999. In its accession Jordan agreed,
for example, to reduce tariffs on imported products and open its services
market; it also modified its intellectual property regime. Jordan enjoyed
special and differential treatment in few areas and was not able to
designate olive oil as a good eligible for special safeguards. The WTO
agreements required fundamental changes in the domestic laws and regulations
of Jordan. The article concludes by arguing that Jordan's accession
to the WTO was a lengthy and costly process. Jordan agreed to an arduous
package of legal and economic reforms. Given that Jordan agreed to greater
commitments compared to the obligations of the original WTO members,
the multilateral trading system witnessed an accession saga.
Keywords: accession, free trade, intellectual property, Jordan, market
access, WTO
