THE INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM: THE World Trade Organization; REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS; AND negotiating TRADE AGREEMENTS

SEPTEMBER 15-26, 2008

tuition fee: $1995 for one week or $3950 for two weeks

Intended Audience: Practitioners from the public and private sectors involved in negotiating and ensuring compliance with regional and international trade agreements.

Course Objectives: The world trading system has undergone massive changes in the last decade. The creation of the WTO and the development of enforceable international rules governing trade in services and intellectual property rights as well as trade in goods vastly expanded the scope and effectiveness of the system. Yet the fitful progress of the Doha Round suggests that further progress on the multilateral level may be difficult if not impossible to achieve. While multilateral negotiations have stalled, countries around the world have accelerated their involvement in regional trade agreements. This seminar will examine the implications of these developments, as well as providing a careful analysis of the WTO and the Uruguay Round Agreements, and a detailed study of regional trade agreements. It is designed as a practical course that will assist trade officials in their work and help the private sector to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by multilateral and regional trade agreements. The course will be taught by former and present senior government trade officials, leading academics, practitioners, and officials from multinational organizations.

Our regular cadre of instructors includes the former Lead Economist at the World Bank, the Chief Patent Counsel of Microsoft, the head of the Trade Division at the Organization of American States, the chief U.S. negotiator of the Uruguay Round Dispute Settlement Understanding, a Director of the International Monetary Fund, and officials from Congress and the Offices of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Comptroller of the Currency.

Course Structure: The seminar will be divided into two sessions, each lasting one week. The first session will provide a basic overview of the international trading system. The second will cover advanced topics, particularly focusing on regional trade agreements. Participants are welcome to take one session or both, though we recommend that those planning to take the second session alone only do so if they have a good basic knowledge of the GATT/WTO system.

Course Outline

SESSION 1 – THE BASICS

Background

• History of GATT and WTO
• Organization and functions of WTO

The Fundamental Trade Rules

• Most-favored nation
• National treatment
• Tariff bindings
• The ban on quantitative restrictions

Customs Issues

• Classification
• Customs valuation
• Rules of origin
• Country-of-origin marking
• Customs bonds

Import Defense Measures

• WTO Agreements on Antidumping and Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and Safeguards
• GATT National Security Provision

Trade and Agriculture

• WTO Agreement on Agriculture

Non-Tariff Barriers

• WTO Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Trade in Services

• General Agreement on Trade in Services

Intellectual Property

• WTO Agreement on Trade Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

SESSION 2 – ADVANCED TOPICS

Economics of Trade

Developing Countries

• Special and Differential Treatment
• Preferential Arrangements

Services (advanced)

• Financial services
• Telecommunications

Investment Issues

• The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures
• Bilateral investment treaties

Trade and Government Procurement

• The Agreement on Government Procurement

Dispute Settlement

• Dispute settlement procedures in the WTO and in RTAs

Negotiating Trade Agreements

Trade and Environment

US Trade Policy

• Role of the Executive Branch and of Congress

Regional Trade Agreements

• The GATT/WTO rules on RTAs
• The economics and politics of RTAs
• Negotiating RTAs
• Scope of RTAs
• Rules of Origin
• Advantages and disadvantages of RTAs