ISDS Case Map
bilateralism & multilateralism
how bilateral, multilateral, regional, unilateral and plurilateral approaches relate (e.g. FTAs vis-à-vis WTO)
The World Trade Organization (WTO) lays down parameters for the conduct of international trade among its 150 member countries. The basic objective, as stated more than implemented, is to provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, rule-based multilateral trade environment.
An update (to end 2006) of WTO's discussion paper on RTAs/FTAs
It is billed as a "competitiveness" forum bringing business and government officials from across the Western Hemisphere to Atlanta with the goal of boosting trade, investment and livelihoods for the region's 800 million citizens.
Free trade with Iceland and Liechtenstein is not exactly a hot political topic in Canada. But last week, Canada announced a deal with those two little countries along with Norway and Sweden - together they refer to themselves, rather grandly, as the European Free Trade Association. It's not much, but it's more than this country has accomplished in the trade arena is some time. Trade Minister David Emerson says there's more to come, to which Canadian exporters and consumers can only say: "It's about time."
Mexican minister of economy Eduardo Sojo says Indian companies should use Mexico, through its 44 FTAs, as a gateway to enter the US and the Latin American market.
The stalled Doha round of talks of the World Trade Organization is what is driving the process of integration in East Asia, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday.
Asian economic regionalism, driven by active FTAs, reached a decisive point recently as China, South Korea, Japan and ASEAN countries compromised on the plan for financial reserves to put the possible financial crisis under control.
The agreement announced today is a fundamental shift in US trade policy and clears the way for broad, bipartisan congressional support for the Peru and Panama FTAs.
Trade policy in Asia is dangerously unbalanced. It rests on a shaky leg of discriminatory bilateral and regional FTAs. Its other WTO leg has gone to sleep: most Asian countries have neglected the WTO in favour of FTAs. Its regional-cooperation arm is limp: grand visions for regional
economic integration are mostly empty conference chatter.
While world trade talks remain deadlocked, the European Free Trade Association (Efta), of which Switzerland is a member, continues to extend its network of free trade accords.
