An increasing number of countries are adopting a trade policy strategy that targets multiple fronts, including not only the World Trade Organization (WTO) but also regional and bilateral trade agreements. There are over 250 regional and bilateral trade agreements worldwide, and most of these have been negotiated since the creation of the WTO in 1995. This number continues to grow.

Regional and bilateral trade agreements may bring faster results than negotiations under the WTO, particularly as WTO negotiations have faltered at times in recent years. Regional and bilateral trade agreements may also lead to greater trade liberalization than would be possible under any probable WTO agreement. On the other hand, regional and bilateral trade agreements may distort trade patterns by encouraging trade among member countries to the exclusion of trade with other countries. Concerns have also been raised that they may weaken the commitment of countries to multilateral negotiations.