Multilateralizing Regionalism: Challenges for the Global Trading System (World Trade Organization)
Cambridge University Press, 2/19/2009
EAN 9780521738101, ISBN10: 0521738105
Paperback, 742 pages, 22.8 x 15.2 x 3.6 cm
Language: English
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have proliferated around the world in the past two decades, and now nearly all members of the WTO are party to at least one. Besides tariffs and rules of origin regulating trade in goods, many RTAs now include provisions on services, investments, technical barriers to trade and competition rules, as well as a host of issues not directly related to trade. The geographic reach of RTAs is expanding, with transcontinental agreements spreading forcefully alongside intra-regional agreements. 'Multilateralizing Regionalism' was the title of a major conference held from 10–12 September 2007 at the WTO in Geneva. Brought together in this publication, the conference papers achieve two things. First, they marshall detailed, new empirical work on the nature of the 'Spaghetti Bowl' and the problems it poses for the multilateral trade system. Second, they contribute fresh and creative thinking on how to 'tame the tangle' of regional trade agreements.
Foreword Pascal Lamy
Introduction Richard Baldwin and Patrick Low
Part I. Background to Regionalism
1. An historical perspective of regionalism Theresa Carpenter
2. The landscape of regional trade arrangements and WTO surveillance Roberto V. Fiorentino, Jo-Ann Crawford and Christelle Toqueboeuf
Part II. Multilateralisaton - Prospects and Past Experience
3. Beyond tariffs
multilateralising non-tariff RTA commitments Simon Evenett and Patrick Low
Comment S. Miroudot
4. Multilateralising regionalism
lessons from the EU experience in relaxing rules of origin Michael Gasiorek
5. The information technology agreement
sui generis or model stepping stone? Catherine Mann and Xuepeng Liu
Comment Alejandro Jara
Part III. Multilateralisation - Sectors and Themes
6. Services provisions in regional trade agreements
stumbling or building blocks for multilateral liberalization? Carsten Fink and Marion Jansen
7. Harmonizing preferential rules of origin regimes around the world Jeremy Harris
Comment Olivier Cadot
8. Legal avenues to 'multilateralising regionalism'
beyond article XXIV Joost Pauwelyn
Part IV. Multilateralization - Regional Perspectives
9. Multilateralising regionalism
case study of African regionalism Peter Draper and Mzukisi Qobo
10. Multilateralising RTAs in the Americas Antoni Estevadeordal, Matthew Shearer and Kati Suominen
Comment Marcelo Olearraga
11. Multilateralising regional trade arrangements in Asia Masahiro Kawai and Ganesh Wignaraja
Comment I. Cheong
12. Fitting Asia-Pacific agreements into the WTO system Gary Hufbauer and Jeffrey Shott
13. Multilateralising preferential trade agreements
a developing country perspective Bernard Hoekman and L. Alan Winters
Comment P. Levy
14. The challenge of negotiating RTAs for developing countries. What could the WTO do to help? Jim Rollo
Comment C. Barfield.