ISDS Case Map
bilateralism & multilateralism
how bilateral, multilateral, regional, unilateral and plurilateral approaches relate (e.g. FTAs vis-à-vis WTO)
Synoptic review of what is happening with US trade talks on agriculture, outside the WTO
A consultative committee on free trade has suggested the government to make urgent political decision regarding its position on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
It may seem as though a deal is a deal, but experts in the field differ on the relative merits of bilateral and regional agreements, with each having its friends and foes.
In this work, we consult closely with Congress on our priorities and strategies; we use domestic trade law; regional initiatives in Europe, Asia (APEC), Latin America (FTAA) and Africa; existing institutions, notably the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Although FTAs have both trade-creating and -diverting effects, overall they serve the objective of multilateral trade liberalisation.
From Tokyo to Mumbai, FTAs - free-trade agreements - seem to be every Asian politician's favorite new phrase these days.
Investment, competition policies, and transparency in government procurement emerged during a recent meeting between trade ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union aimed at seeking ways to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two regions.
United States (U.S.) is aggressively working to open markets globally, regionally and bilaterally to expand American opportunities and to guard its investments in overseas market. With multilateral negotiations proceeding at a slow pace especially following the collapse of talks in Cancun, U.S. is on a spree signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with the Americas, Asian, African and Middle Eastern nations.
Democrat John Kerry probably would put more time and energy into world trade talks and enforcing existing agreements than pursuing bilateral deals like the Bush administration has, a campaign adviser said.
Given the apparently easy way in which FTA rules can be bent and misinterpreted, wouldn't it be better to dispense with them altogether? Moreover, now that the Doha Round of the WTO has been given another lease of life, why not simply wait for global, multilateral tariff reduction?
