Does any country actually trade on WTO rules alone?

Analysis: Brexiteers argue the UK could trade with the rest of the world simply by relying on basic World Trade Organisation rules and they say many countries already do this without any problems. But is this true? Ben Chu investigates

Some see WTO rules as a simple landing place post Brexit (AFP)

Many Brexiteers have claimed that one of the reasons we shouldn’t fear a no-deal departure is that lots of other countries in the world already trade with each other on basic World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules – the framework the UK would drop into if we left the EU on 29 March with no withdrawal agreement and no transition period.

But is this claim actually true?

Anand Menon, the director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, pointed out in an article for The Independent last month that it’s actually misleading.