The regulation of international trade. Second edition

Book abstract:

The conclusion of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) Uruguay Round negotiations, together with the emergence of regional trading arrangements, has underlined the significance of international trade regulation in global politics and economics. The regulation of international trade introduces the rules and institutions that govern international trade. The authors examine the theory and functioning of international legal regimes, including those of GATT/WTO (World Trade Organisation), the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) as well as some aspects of the EU. The book covers the rise of protectionism through the use of internal trade remedy laws, including a detailed comparative analysis of the application of trade remedies to dumping and subsidies in Canada, the USA and the EU.

Chapters are also included on trade in agriculture and services, and trade and developing countries, the environment, labour rights and competition policy. In the conclusion, the authors look at the future of the global trading system, covering trade liberalisation and multilateralism versus regionalism.
Although domestic legal regimes of some of the major trading states are discussed, most of the law that this book deals with is international. The book is not however intended to be a legal treatise, but aims to analyse the rules and institutions from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, including economics, political and ethical philosophy and the international relations and political economy literatures. It is supported by a comprehensive and wide-ranging bibliography. It is aimed at students and researchers in law, economics, politics and public policy and will serve as a useful introduction to the institutions and rules that govern trade between sovereign states.