This paper summarizes the evolution of regional trade agreements in the Americas and examines whether they are contributing to globalization or detracting from it. In theory, regional trade agreements may create incentives that deter countries from entering into multilateral negotiations. The...

The Doha Round has been slow to achieve a reduction in the level of agricultural protection. This remains the case notwithstanding the substantial economic benefits that would arise from a more liberal agricultural trading regime. We provide one explanation for this slowness using a simple...

Dumping is one of the most poorly understood and contentious issues in trade policy. The primary reason is that the agreed definitions of dumping are not based on a solid economic foundation. This allows antidumping measures to be used for protectionist ends and to harass trade partners. While...

The WTO Ministerial Statement of November 2001 mandates work on those situations where reduction of trade restrictions would benefit both trade and the environment. To contribute to such research, we use a modified version of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model to estimate for OECD...

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was made among three nation-states, Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Each of these nation-states has indigenous populations within its borders. Each has chosen different legal mechanisms for interacting with indigenous peoples. For example,...

The paper considers the GATS commitments made by WTO members on the movement of natural persons (mode 4) since the completion of the Uruguay Round. Two groups of demandeurs exist for liberalisation. The first are developed countries which have sought market access for intra-corporate transferees...

Debates over proposals to liberalise international trade are often heated and acrimonious. They are often argued, in part, on the basis of projections of market conditions after the proposed liberalisation. These argument are often important in influencing trade policy decisions, yet their...

The National Treatment Clause, Article 1102 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, protects foreign investors from discrimination, including expropriation of their investments. This national treatment approach - equal treatment of foreign investors and local investors by states - was...

Multilateral trade negotiations are, by design, becoming increasingly complex. The current degree of complexity limits the ability to assess the effects of a potential agreement and inhibits the transparency needed to reach an agreement. Despite the considerable recent efforts at capacity...

The European Union is attempting to have the protection of geographic indicators strengthened in the WTO. There may be sufficient rents and other benefits available to justify this strategy in the negotiations. To achieve its rent-seeking goals, however, the European Union needs allies at the...