Which agreement aimed to promote international trade by reducing tariffs worldwide?

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is recognized for its primary goal of promoting international trade by reducing tariffs and other trade barriers. Established in 1947, GATT was designed to create a multilateral framework that would encourage trade liberalization among its member countries. Through a series of negotiation rounds, GATT played a significant role in establishing rules and procedures to lower tariffs on goods, which in turn facilitated increased trade flows between nations.

While the World Trade Organization (WTO) succeeded GATT in 1995 and expanded its functions to include services and intellectual property, GATT itself was the original agreement focused explicitly on tariff reductions. The European Union and Trans-Pacific Partnership, although relevant to international trade, serve different functions; the former is a political and economic union of member states, and the latter is a trade agreement intended to enhance economic ties among specific countries. Thus, GATT stands out as the foundational agreement targeting the reduction of tariffs globally, making it the correct answer in this context.