China Joins the WTO
China Joins the WTO marks December 11, 2001, when China became the 143rd member of the World Trade Organization after 15 years of negotiations, following approval of its accession terms at the Doha ministerial conference in November.
What happened and why it matters
WTO entry locked in China's access to world markets and set off the import surge that shaped U.S. retail and logistics for two decades. China agreed to cut its average tariff on industrial goods from 24.6 percent in 1997 to 9.4 percent by 2005 and to open trading rights and services, while other members granted it normal trade treatment. Container volumes from Chinese ports soared, and U.S. retailers built import distribution centers near West Coast ports to handle them. Brands sourcing from China now face the reverse trend as well, as Section 301 tariffs since 2018 and the end of duty-free de minimis entry have raised landed costs.