An Appraisal of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement and Its Consistency with the WTO Rules on Preferential Trade Agreements

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This article critically analyses the main features of the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). As a preferential trade agreement (PTA) concluded among WTO members, the SAFTA must comply with the WTO rules on PTAs. This article finds that the SAFTA has flouted with the requirement of timely notification to the WTO. Even though the Agreement complies with the discreet requirements of the Enabling Clause, its shallow internal trade liberalization scheme would not have complied with Article XXIV of the GATT.