ISDS Case Map
bilateralism & multilateralism
how bilateral, multilateral, regional, unilateral and plurilateral approaches relate (e.g. FTAs vis-à-vis WTO)
Two trade ministers from Asia-Pacific nations -- Singapore and Australia -- on Saturday defended bilateral and regional trade agreements as potentially contributing to, not detracting from, the global trade regime.
Countries will continue to negotiate their own free trade agreements in the absence of a WTO deal, but those bilateral arrangements could actually help the chances for a global trade pact, Australia's trade minister said Saturday.
This paper addresses the main threats of the intellectual property chapters in the
bilateral and regional agreements with the US for access to
medicines, give an overview of the reactions from different sectors to these agreements,
and outline some strategic considerations for future action.
Bush administration efforts to reach a deal with the US Congress on trade were thrown into doubt on Thursday as US business and labor groups clashed over the core issue in the talks.
Peter Drahos looks at the issue of dispute settlement in the gowing web of US bilateral free trade agreements, how this relates to the WTO's dispute settlement system and the implications for developing countries.
The free trade agreement the United States signed with South Korea last week could be the most important step in the nation's trade policy since the North American Free Trade Agreement. It could symbolize a shift away from global trade negotiations, which were supposed to help poor countries grow, to the bilateral option, the only game in town right now.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI), today unveiled “A New Trade Policy for America,” to improve pending free trade agreements and allow for bipartisan support in the House.
An expert meeting was held in Geneva last week on the interface between the multilateral trading system and regional trade arrangements, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Past EU bilateral and regional agreements have been strongly influenced by political concerns. The new generation of FTAs must be based on economic criteria: where the EU's current and future markets lie.
Contrary to its long-standing assertion that rice will be excluded from a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, South Korea's government is reviewing measures to open some less sensitive rice products.
