2011 WTO AND REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS

Overview

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, intellectual property rights, and goods have vastly expanded the scope and effectiveness of the system. While multilateral negotiations have stalled because of complications during the Doha Round, countries around the world have accelerated their involvement in regional trade agreements. This seminar will examine the implications of these developments, providing a careful analysis of the WTO, the Uruguay Round Agreements, and a detailed study of regional trade agreements.

Experienced senior government trade officials, leading academics, practitioners, and officials from multinational organizations will teach techniques for negotiating trade agreements. Particular attention will be directed at increasing the effectiveness of developing country participation in WTO and regional dispute settlement proceedings.

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

Course Outline

Section I

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
• Transparency

Customs Issues

• Classification
•  Customs valuation
•  Rules of origin
• Country-of-origin marking
• Trade facilitation

Import Defense Measures

• Antidumping
• Countervailing duties and safeguards

Trade and Agriculture Non-Tariff Barriers

• Technical barriers to trade
• Sanitary and phytosanitary measures

Trade and Government Procurement; Trade in Services; Trade and Intellectual Property; Dispute Settlement

• Developing Countries
• Special and differential treatment
• Preferential arrangements

Section II

Economics of Trade; Investment Issues; The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures; Bilateral Investment Treaties; Trade and the Environment 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

Negotiating Trade Agreements

• Deciding whether to negotiate
• Preparing for negotiations
• Conducting negotiations
• Role-playing exercise

Site Visits

• U.S. government trade agencies
• Congress

Course Advisor

Patrick Macrory is Director of ILI's International Trade Law Center. He was a senior partner in two of Washington's largest law firms, and has practiced trade law for more than forty years. He has taught international trade law at universities in Tokyo, Washington and London, and has written extensively on the subject. He was Editor-in-Chief of a major new multi-volume work on the WTO, published by Springer in 2005.