Cross-border paperless trade is increasingly important to generate economic gains in a digitalised economy. Several developing and least developed countries will need to modernise their domestic laws and regulations to facilitate cross-border electronic transmissions, particularly to promote...

Trade liberalisation has the potential to increase certain unhealthy habits such as smoking and over-consumption of alcohol and unhealthy foods, leading to a corresponding increase in non-communicable diseases (‘NCDs'). A range of measures designed to reduce consumption of these products may...

This chapter examines the prominent role that Australia has played in the multilateral trading system, with a specific focus on the WTO and Australia's preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Australia has been actively involved in the WTO, through GATT and WTO negotiations, WTO committee work,...

In the 1990s, three Pacific island countries, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa, applied to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, after negotiating for years to join and with membership almost a formality, Vanuatu in 2001 and Tonga in 2006 suspended the process of their accession. Although...

This chapter discusses what is a treaty and what is its significance in international law; the process by which treaties are formed and the legal effects of treaties at various stages of their formation; the nature, validity and legal consequences of reservations to treaties; the process of...

This chapter addresses the substantive aspects of the exception for Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) in relation to goods under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, beginning with an explanation of its structure and scope. The chapter goes on to examine in detail the conditions with which PTAs must...