INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAWS
INTERNATIONAL  TRADE ORGANIZATIONS

CD11 Outline                                                                       Course Structure Index

Goals
This module studies the evolution, structure, and organization of international institutions, addresses issues of accessibility, considers boundaries of competence and jurisdiction, and assesses the future trajectory of international governance of trade.

This module seeks to provide students with a thorough introduction to the main multilateral and plurilateral organizations and institutions governing international trade and investment relations. By considering why governments have established these intergovernmental organizations, how they affect the behavior of member governments, and how they can resolve problems in international relations, students will gain a thorough appreciation of the important role these organizations play in conditioning the flow of international trade and investment and relations among governments, how they function, the roles of member governments and secretariat officials, how decisions are made and the consequences of such decisions, and how disputes can be resolved. As a result, students should be able to identify how and why an international organization can - or cannot - contribute to the resolution of a specific problem faced by a government or firm as a result of international trade and investment.

Topics Covered
This module will concentrate on the structure, role and competence of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its constituent agreements, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the various ancillary agreements on goods (e.g., on agriculture, antidumping, subsidies and countervailing duties, safeguards, textiles, investment, and licensing), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the Agreement on Trade‑Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the Understanding on Dispute Settlement (DSU) and the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). The course will consider the origins of these agreements, the goals and objectives sought by member governments, the extent to which these are met, the structure of the rights and obligations in the agreements, the nature of decision‑making, the approach to the resolution of disputes, and other constitutional and institutional aspects. The module will also briefly consider the structure, role and competence of other multilateral institutions in the trade field, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), commodity councils (such as the International Wheat Council), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Finally, the module will briefly examine the relationship of the international trade organizations to the international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (IBRD), and the regional banks (such as the Inter-American Development Bank).

Key Books and Articles

 Hampson, Fen Osler with Michael Hart, Multilateral Negotiations: Lessons from Arms Control Trade and the Environment (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1995).

 Jackson, John H., The World Trading System: Law and Policy of International Economic Relations (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1989).

 Kahler, Miles, International Institutions and the Political Economy of Integration (Washington: Brookings, 1994).

 Preeg, Ernest H., Traders in a Brave New World: The Uruguay Round and the Future of the International Trading System (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995).

 Schott, Jeffrey J., The Uruguay Round: An Assessment (Washington: Institute for International Economics, 1995).

 Trebilcock, Michael J. and Robert Howse, The Regulation of International Trade (New York: Routledge, 1995).

 UNCTAD, The Outcome of the Uruguay Round: An Initial Assessment (Geneva: UNCTAD, 1994).

Case Material

 Selected material from WTO, The Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations: The Legal Texts (Geneva: GAO, 1994).

Criteria for Evaluating Teaching and Student Performance
Students will perform a take-home exam that will involve preparing documents, speeches, and/or memoranda that are typical of those prepared in government and private firms and which will demonstrate their understanding of the structure and principles of international institutions, their role in governing conduct among governments, and their influence on the flow of international trade and investment.