World Trade Organization Dispute Resolution Research Articles

WORLD TRADE TALKS BEGIN

The term trade conjures up images of blue-suited officials deep in esoteric discussion on tariffs and quotas that would make most people's eyes glaze over. But activists from around the world are pledging that trade talks this week in Seattle will be anything but stodgy. They are converging on the meeting, which runs through Dec. 3, to demonstrate and to call for governments to review and reform the World Trade Organization (WTO) before launching a new round of talks on liberalizing world trade. Governments created WTO in 1995 to expand international trade by reducing barriers such as tariffs and by preventing discrimination against imported goods and services. Countries that are members use WTO to settle trade disputes. If WTO dispute resolution panels decide in favor of a nation challenging another country's laws or regulations, the victor is allowed to impose trade sanctions against the loser. The Seattle conference will convene highest level trade ...

WTO AND THE ENVIRONMENT

A primary function of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is to settle disputes among nations when their individual trade laws come in conflict. Since its creation out of the old General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (GATI) in 1995, WTO's dispute resolution panels have handled hundreds of cases. But for some of those cases, specifically those involving environmental and public health issues, a backlash is building among environmental activist groups, which believe WTO is making international trade a clear winner at the expense of the global environment. And no decision has angered these groups more than WTO's ruling in October that a U.S. law intended to protect endangered species of sea turtles from being killed in shrimp nets is really a trade barrier and need not be enforced. Environmental groups see WTO promoting an economic order that is increasing pollution and harming human health. They believe WTO, in pursuit of improved trade, may bring down both ...