| ab | Appellate Body |
| aids | Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
| aiipi | International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property |
| ap | Andean Pact |
| asean | Association of South East Asian Nations |
| cacm | Central American Common Market |
| cet | Common External Tariff |
| cgc | Gulf Co-operation Council |
| cl | Compulsory License |
| cu | Customs Union |
| cusfta | Canada-US Free Trade Agreement |
| dabmp | Dutch Assessment Board for Medicinal Products |
| diac | Draft International Antitrust Code |
| dsb | Dispute Settlement Body |
| ec | European Community |
| ecj | European Court of Justice |
| ecowas | Economic Community of West African States |
| ecsc | European Coal and Steel Community |
| eea | European Economic Area |
| eec | European Economic Community |
| efta | European Free Trade Association |
| emr | Exclusive Marketing Rights |
| epc | European Patent Convention |
| EU | European Union |
| fta | Free Trade Agreements |
| gatt | General Agreement on Trade Tariffs |
| gats | General Agreement on Trade in Services |
| gsp | Generalised System of Preferences |
| hiv | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
| icc | International Chamber of Commerce |
| imf | International Monetary Fund |
| inta | International Trademark Association |
| ip | Intellectual Property |
| ipc | Intellectual Property Rights Committee |
| iprs | Intellectual Property Rights |
| ito | International Trade Organisation |
| lafta | Latin American Free Trade Area |
Latin American Integration Agreement | |
| ldc | Least Developing countries |
| mnc | Multinational Corporations |
| mfn | Most Favoured Nation |
| nafta | North American Free Trade Agreement |
| nt | National Treatment |
| ntb | Non-Tariff Barrier |
| pafta | Pacific Free Trade Area |
| pmasa | Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association of South Africa |
| pta | Preferential Trade Area |
| qc | Queen’s Counsel |
| qr | Quantitative Restrictions |
| rta | Regional Trade Agreements |
| r&d | Research and Development |
| saarc | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
| sadcc | Southern African Development Coordination Conference |
| safta | South Asian Free Trade Agreement |
| skf | Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd. |
| s & dt | Special and Differential Treatment |
| trips | Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| UN | United Nations |
| unctad | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
| unesco | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation |
| unhcr | United Nations Commission on Human Rights |
| US | United States |
| uspto | United States Patent and Trademark Office |
| ustr | United States Trade Representatives |
| who | World Health Organisation |
| wipo | World Intellectual Property Organisation |
| wto | World Trade Organisation |