Tuesday, January 31, 2012

World Trade Law after Doha



A paper titled "World Trade Law after Doha:Multilateral, Regional and National Approaches" by David Gantz focuses on the future of the multilateral legal trading regime in the context of the failure of the Doha round. The paper has explored the future growth of multilateral trade rules and growth in international trade plurilaterally, regionally and by national measures nothwithstanding the failure of the Doha round of trade negotiations.

The paper concludes
"While multilateral trade negotiations may well be the best route to the reduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers for agricultural and manufactured goods, and increased market access for services, among others, in the absence of the political among WTO Members to move forward other options are likely to become more popular. Most observers would agree that some trade liberalization is better than no trade liberalization, or increased protection. The vehicles for “some liberalization” include new or expanded regional trade agreements, “plurilateral” accords among a willing sub-group of the WTO memberships, and increased attention as to how members can increase their own competitiveness and trade through changes in national laws and policies. There are risks in all of these alternatives, but the failure of Doha has given members who seek expanded trade and the benefits accruing therefrom no other choice."

A fait accompli with the failure of Doha? 

No comments: