universalism. 1  universal character; universality. 2  a universal range of knowledge, interests, or activities. ( 3 initial capital letter) the doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of God and the final salvation of all souls. Compare apocatastasis (def 2).
The World Trade Organization, an institution that arbitrates trade disputes. Strategic Trade Policies Policies designed to get more of the benefits from trade in a country than would exist under free trade.
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was an international organization created in 1947 to reduce trade barriers through multilateral negotiations. In January 1995, the GATT was replaced by a stronger World Trade Organization (WTO), the result of eight years of GATT negotiations. Today, member countries number 125 (nearly the whole world except China, some former communist countries, and a number of small nations) and WTO rules apply to over 90 percent of international trade.