International Trade Law

This course examines the law and policy of international trade in goods and services. It begins with an overview of the economics and politics of international cooperation on trade, and then moves on to study the core legal obligations that states have under the WTO/GATT rules. These rules address tariff and non-tariff barriers, discrimination of importers, regional trade agreements, anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, and safeguards measures. We will discuss the negotiation, implementation and enforcement of international trade agreements, with a particular interest in the relationship between free trade and other areas of international cooperation, such as environment. Finally, we will discuss the current trade politics and pressures that have led to protectionism and trade wars and undermined the role of the WTO as the forum for settling trade disputes. A student's grade will be based on a final examination and class participation.