Shaffer, Gregory and Winters, L Alan (2017) FTA law in WTO dispute settlement: Peru–additional duty and the fragmentation of trade law. World Trade Review, 16 (2). pp. 303-326. ISSN 1474-7456

PDF - Accepted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (674kB)

Abstract

There is a serious imbalance between the sclerosis of the political system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the automatic adoption of WTO Appellate Body judicial reports. The question is whether the WTO Appellate Body will recognize bilateral political agreements (such as under Free Trade Agreements, FTAs) that modify WTO obligations between two parties. In addressing this question, the Appellate Body decision in Peru–Additional Duty on Imports of Certain Agricultural Products is important. The decision addressed the availability of defenses under FTAs in WTO disputes, as well as under public international law generally. After critically assessing the decision, we set forth a series of judicial and political choices for addressing the interaction of WTO and FTA rules going forward. In particular, we contend that clear modifications of WTO commitments under an FTA should be recognized by WTO panels as a defense, but subject to the FTA itself complying with WTO requirements under GATT Article XXIV. The case is important not only for trade specialists, but generally for policymakers and scholars of global governance in a world of fragmented international treaties.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	University of Sussex Business School > Economics
Depositing User:	Stacey Goldup
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2017 13:59
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2019 19:21
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/68379

View download statistics for this item

📧 Request an update