Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T10:28:33.464Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dealing with PTAs in the WTO: Falling through the Cracks between ‘Judicialization’ and ‘Legalization’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2015

PETROS C. MAVROIDIS
PETROS C. MAVROIDIS*
Affiliation:
Columbia Law School and European University Institute
*
*Email: Petros.Mavroidis@unine.ch
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Preferential trade agreements (PTAs) have to be consistent with the WTO. Their monitoring at the multilateral level has failed so far for various reasons. The question arises what to do? Completion of the contract (‘legalization’) has failed repeatedly, and, in light of vested interests and incentives, there is no reason to believe it can succeed now. Judicialization can be discarded as well, since the incentives to enforce the WTO contract in this respect are lacking. The good arguments thus lie in favour of building bridges between the WTO and PTAs, and the weaker arguments with an effort to enhance enforcement against PTAs through either judicialization or legalization of the monitoring process.

Type
Review Article
Information
World Trade Review , Volume 14 , Special Issue S1: Judicial Politics in International Trade Relations , July 2015 , pp. S107 - S121
Copyright
Copyright © Petros C. Mavroidis 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acharya, R., J.-A. Crawford, M. Maliszewska, and Bernard, C. (2010), ‘Landscape’, in Chauffour, J.-P. and Maur, J.-C. (eds.), Preferential Trade Agreement Policies for Development: A Handbook, Washington, DC: World Bank Group.Google Scholar
Baldwin, R. and Seghezza, E. (2010), ‘Are Trade Blocs Building or Stumbling Blocs?’, Journal of Economic Integration, 25: 276–297.Google Scholar
Baldwin, R. E. (1970), Non-tariff Distortions in International Trade, Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.Google Scholar
Bhagwati, J. (2002) ‘The Unilateral Freeing of Trade versus Reciprocity’, in Bhagwati, J. (ed.), Going Alone: the Case for Relaxed Reciprocity in Freeing Trade, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Bhagwati, J. (2008), Termites of the Trading System, New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Chase, K. A. (2006), ‘Multilateralism Compromised: The Mysterious Origins of GATT Article XXIV’, World Trade Review, 5: 1–30.Google Scholar
Collins-Williams, T. and Wolfe, R. (2010), ‘Transparency as Trade Policy Tool: The WTO's Cloudy Windows’, World Trade Review, 9: 551–81.Google Scholar
Costinot, A. (2008), ‘A Comparative Institutional Analysis of Agreements on Product Standards’, Journal of International Economics, 75: 197–213.Google Scholar
Estevadeordal, A., Freund, C., and Ornelas, E. (2008), ‘Does Regionalism Affect Trade Liberalization Towards Non-Members?’, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123: 1531–1575.Google Scholar
Finger, M. (1993), ‘GATT's Influence on Regional Agreements’, in De Melo, J. and Panagariya, A. (eds.), New Dimensions in Regional Integration, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Freund, C. and Ornelas, E. (2010), ‘Regional Trade Agreements’, Annual Review of Economics, 2: 139–166.Google Scholar
Grossman, G. M. and Helpman, E. (1995), ‘The Politics of Free Trade Agreements’, American Economic Review, 85: 667–690.Google Scholar
Hoekman, B. M. and Mavroidis, P. C. (2000), ‘WTO Dispute Settlement, Transparency and Surveillance’, The World Economy, 23: 527–542.Google Scholar
Hoekman, B. M. and Mavroidis, P. C. (2015), ‘Embracing Diversity: Plurilateral Agreements and the Trading System’, World Trade Review, 14: 101–116.Google Scholar
Horn, H., Mavroidis, P. C., and Sapir, A. (2010), ‘Beyond the WTO: An Anatomy of the EU and US Preferential Trade Agreements’, The World Economy, 33 (11): 1565–1588.Google Scholar
Hudec, R. E. (1972), ‘GATT or GABB? The Future Design of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade’, The Yale Law Journal, 80: 1299–1386.Google Scholar
Hudec, R. E. (1993), ‘GATT's Influence on Regional Agreements: A Comment’, in de Melo, J. and Panagariya, A. (eds.), New Dimensions in Regional Integration, CEPR and Cambridge University Press, pp. 151–155.Google Scholar
Hufbauer, G. and Schott, J. (2013), ‘Payoff from the World Trade Agenda 2013’, Report to the ICC Foundation, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Irwin, D. (1998), ‘Changes in US Tariffs: The Role of Import Prices and Commercial Policies’, American Economic Review, 88: 1015–1026.Google Scholar
Karacaovali, B. and Limão, N. (2008), ‘The Clash of Liberalizations: Preferential vs. Multilateral Trade Liberalization in the European Union’, Journal of International Economics, 74: 299–327.Google Scholar
Krishna, P. (1998), ‘Regionalism and Multilateralism: A Political Economy Approach’, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 113: 227–251.Google Scholar
Lawrence, R. Z. (2006), ‘Rule Making Amidst Growing Diversity: A “Club of Clubs”, Approach to WTO Reform and New Issue Selection’, Journal of International Economic Law, 9: 823–835.Google Scholar
Limão, N. (2006), ‘Preferential Trade Agreements as Stumbling Blocs for Multilateral Trade Liberalization: Evidence for the US’, American Economic Review, 96: 896–914.Google Scholar
Marchetti, H. and Mavroidis, P. C. (2012), ‘I Now Recognize You (and Only You) as Equal: An Anatomy of (Mutual) Recognition Agreements in the GATS’, in Lianos, I. and Odudu, O. (eds.), Regulating Trade in Services in the EU and the WTO, Trust, Distrust, and Economic Integration, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 415–443.Google Scholar
Mavroidis, P. C. (2005), ‘If I Don't Do it Somebody Else Will (or Won't)’, Journal of World Trade, 40: 187–214.Google Scholar
Mavroidis, P. C. (2010), ‘Always Look at the Bright Side of Non-delivery: WTO and Preferential Trade Agreements, Yesterday and Today’, World Trade Review, 10: 375–387.Google Scholar
Mavroidis, P. C. (2012), Trade in Goods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Prusa, T. and Teh, R. (2010), Protection Reduction and Diversion: PTAs and the Incidence of Antidumping Disputes, NBER Working Paper 16276.Google Scholar
Roessler, F. (1993), ‘The Relationship between Regional Integration Agreements and the Multilateral Trade Order’, in Anderson, K. and Blackhurst, R. (eds.), Regional Integration and the Global Trading System, Exeter: Harvester Wheatsheaf, pp. 311–325.Google Scholar
Sapir, A. (2000), ‘EC Regionalism at the Turn of the Millennium: Towards a New Paradigm?’, The World Economy, 23: 1135–1148.Google Scholar
Schott, J. (1989), ‘More Free Trade Areas?’, in Schott, J. (ed.), Free Trade Areas and US Trade Policy, Washington, DC: Institute of International Economics, pp. 1–58.Google Scholar