21/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - Turkey ratifies WTO trade facilitation agreement. On 16 March, Turkey submitted its Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) ratification instrument to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This therefore brings the number of signatory countries that have ratified this agreement (concluded during the ninth ministerial conference in December 2013) to 71. The TFA contains a set of rules to simplify and streamline customs procedures and increase the developing countries' participation in global trade. The TFA will enter into force once two thirds of WTO member countries (currently 162 in all) have ratified it. (EH)