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Business Guide to the World Trading System

Business Guide to the World Trading System

Name: Business Guide to the World Trading System
Author: International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO
ISBN: 9780850926217

by International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO and Commonwealth Secretariat

Published by: The Commonwealth

Imprint: International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO and Commonwe

356 Pages, 210.00 × 297.00 mm

Paperback
9780850926217
Published: January 1999

£50.00

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Description
Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Boxes
Note
Introduction
The Guide
References and up-to-date information
Overview
The WTO system and the evolving global economy
Main features of the WTO Agreements
Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods
General Agreement on Trade in Services
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
Liberalization measures taken by countries as a result of commitments assumed in the Uruguay Round
Developments since the establishment of WTO
Benefits to the business community of the WTO system
Annex I: Illustrative list of benefits arising from the WTO system
Annex II: WTO Agreements: provisions on special and differential treatment of developing countries - An analytical summary
PART ONETHE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: ITS ROLE AND FUNCTIONS
CHAPTER 1 WTO: Forum for negotiations, dispute settlement and trade policy reviews
Summary
WTO: Its objectives, functions and structure
WTO as a forum for negotiations
WTO system for the settlement of disputes
Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM)
Annex I WTO structure
Annex II WTO membership
PART TWO
INTERNATIONAL RULES GOVERNING TRADE IN GOODS (GATT 1994 AND ITS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENTS)
CHAPTER 2 Four main rules of GATT
Summary
First rule: protecting the domestic industry by tariffs only
Second rule: tariffs should be reduced and bound against further increases
Reductions in tariffs
Third rule: trade according to the most-favoured-nation clause
Fourth rule: national treatment
Business implications
CHAPTER 3 Valuation of goods for customs purposes
Summary
Types of customs duties
Rules of the Agreement on Customs Valuation
Business implications
CHAPTER 4 Preshipment inspection
Summary
Objectives for using PSI services
Background to the negotiations on the PSI Agreement
Main provisions of the Agreement
Differing rules on the verification of prices in the Agreement on PSI and on the valuation of goods in the Agreement on Customs Valuation
Obligations of exporting countries
Consideration of complaints and settlement of disputes
Review of the provisions of the Agreement
Business implications
CHAPTER 5 Mandatory and voluntary product standards, and sanitary and phytosanitary regulations
Summary
The role of standards
International rules governing standards
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
General principles and rules of the Agreement on TBT
Code of Good Practice for voluntary standardization
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Other provisions common to the SPS and TBT Agreements
Enquiry points
Business implications and experience of the operation of the Agreements
Annex: National enquiry points
CHAPTER 6 Import licensing procedures
SummaryCommon rules
Automatic import licensing
Non-automatic import licensing
Business implications
CHAPTER 7 Rules applicable to exports
SummaryExport incentives providing for the reimbursement of indirect taxes
Rule governing export control measures
Business implications
CHAPTER 8 Rules governing subsidies on industrial products
Summary
Definition of subsidies; aim of the Agreement on SCM
Remedies available to affected industries and to their governments
Business implications
CHAPTER 9 Safeguard measures to restrict imports in emergency situations
Summary
Circumventing GATT rules through VERs
Agreement on Safeguards
Business implications
CHAPTER 10 Safeguard actions for economic development purposes: special flexibility available to developing countries
Summary
Conditions for the invocation of safeguard provisions
Business implications
CHAPTER 11 Response to unfair trade practices: rules on the use of countervailing and anti-dumping duties
Summary
Concept of dumping as embodied in GATT law
Rules and procedures for levying countervailing and anti-dumping duties
Business implications
CHAPTER 12 Rules of origin
Summary
Purposes for which rules are applied to determine country of origin
Main principles on which current national rules are based
Problems posed by differences in the rules for determining origin
Agreement on Rules of Origin
Present state of play in the technical work on harmonization
Business implications
CHAPTER 13 Trade-related investment measures
Summary
What are TRIMs?
Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures
Business implications
CHAPTER 14 Agreement on Textiles and Clothing
Summary
Integrating trade in textiles into GATT
Integration of non-MFA restrictions
Transitional safeguard measures
Rules of origin
Increasing use of anti-dumping actions
Business implications
CHAPTER 15 Agreement on Agriculture
Summary
Overview
Border measures
Export subsidies and governmental support measures
Domestic support subsidies
Peace clause Net food-importing countries
Business implications and future negotiations
Annex:
Table 1: Export subsidy reduction commitments
Table 2: Reductions in domestic support to agricultural producers
CHAPTER 16 Results of market access negotiations
Summary
Uruguay Round of trade negotiations
Post-Uruguay Round negotiations
Assessment of liberalization gains from the Uruguay Round
Business implications
PART THREE
INTERNATIONAL RULES GOVERNING TRADE IN SERVICES
CHAPTER 17 General Agreement on Trade in Services
Summary
Modes in which the service trade takes place
General Agreement on Trade in Services
Rules on liberalization of services
Liberalization commitments under GATS
Business implications
Annex I: WTO classification of service sectors
Annex II: National enquiry and contact points
PART FOUR
GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AMD STATE TRADING
CHAPTER 18 Government procurement
Summary
Historical background to the evolution of rules
Agreement on Government Procurement
Negotiations for improvements in the Agreement
Interim agreement on government procurement
Work on government procurement under the provisions of GATS
Business implications
CHAPTER 19 State trading
Summary
Main obligations
Business implications
PART FIVE
TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
CHAPTER 20 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
Summary
Intellectual property rights and their implications for international trade
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
Business implications 251
PART SIX
SUBJECTS ADDED TO THE WTO WORK PROGRAMME FOR STUDY AMD ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 21 Trade and environment
Evolving global trends
WTO provisions
Trade-related issues
Trade provisions in multilateral environmental agreements
Environmental benefits of trade liberalization
Future work
Annex: Polluter-pays and user-pays principles
CHAPTER 22 Trade and investment
Background: discussions in GATT/WTO on trade and investment
FDI: its importance and impact; existing agreements and WTO provisions
Description of the main issues and points raised in the discussions in the WTO Working Group
CHAPTER 23 Trade and competition policy
Competition policy issues in international trade
Overview of the main issues under discussion in the WTO Working Group
CHAPTER 24 Transparency in government procurement practices
Agreement on Government Procurement
Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement
Elements for ensuring transparency after the procurement contract is awarded
Technical cooperation, and special and differential treatment of developing countries
Ongoing work
CHAPTER 25 Trade facilitation
Work by international organizations other than WTOWTO law on trade facilitation
Proposals calling for WTO involvement in trade facilitation
Work in progress
CHAPTER 26 Electronic commerce
What is electronic commerce
Benefits of electronic commerce
Internet-based international trade
Internet commerce and developing countries
Problems and issues
WTO work programme
Summing up
Index