21/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - WTO agreement on facilitating trade now ratified by 50 countries. On Monday 19 October, the WTO announced that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is the 50th WTO member country to have ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). This agreement was concluded in December 2013 and is part of a raft of measures aimed at developing countries. The TFA contains a number of rules for simplifying and streamlining customs procedures and increasing the participation of developing countries in world trade. The TFA will enter into force when two thirds of WTO countries (161 since 26 April last) have completed their internal ratification processes. The WTO is hoping to obtain as many ratifications as possible by the time of the 10th ministerial WTO conference in Nairobi, next December, so that it can officially enter into force there. (EH)