World Trade Law WTO: Text, Materials and Commentary

Citation

At'tarawneh, M.A. (2008), "World Trade Law WTO: Text, Materials and Commentary", Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 219-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/14770020810927381

This is an exciting book on the World Trade Law. Of course, and as the authors indicates, the scope of the field of “World Trade Law” is difficult to define for more than one reasons. In part, this is because a number of terms have been used to describe it: International Economic Law, International Trade Law, Global Trade Law, World Trade Organization (WTO) law and international trade regulation. All these terms seem to refer to almost the same subject matter, although there may be slight variations in details. There are a wide range of topics that have, to some extent, aspects that are “global” or “international” or “world‐wide;” that relate to “trade” or “economics;” and that are “legal” or “regulatory” in nature. The authors chose the term “World Trade Law” in large part because its main concern is the fundamental role of the WTO in regulating the rules and practices of world trade. The WTO is not the only relevant legal instrument or international organization, but it is the broadest and most comprehensive in its coverage and to some extent governs other bilateral and regional agreements in this area. In addition, while the authors address various “economic” issues in this book, the core focus is on “trade” issues. To the extent that other issues are discussed, it is in large part because of their connection to trade. Thus, “World Trade Law” seemed the most appropriate title for this volume.

The “World Trade Law” covered by this book focuses on the legal instruments that regulate trade flows. This includes international agreements related to trade, as well as certain domestic laws affecting trade flows. The international agreements begin with the WTO agreement, which established the WTO.

In addition to the WTO, there are many bilateral, regional and plurilateral trade agreements. These agreements are, in a sense, still part of the multilateral system of trade. This is, of course, the case because the WTO agreement establishes conditions which these agreements must meet in order to be in compliance with the WTO rules. However, these agreements often go further in terms of economic integration than do WTO rules, so there are important substantive differences. The most prominent of the regional agreements are the European Union, the North American Free Trade Agreements, Mercosur (the Southern Common Market) and the ASEAN free trade area (AFTA). Having increased in numbers in recent years, the bilateral agreements and investment agreements are really gaining indispensable importance in any “World Trade Law” discussion or debate. “Trade remedies” domestic laws are also covered by this book.

The contents of the book do offer, as the authors claim in their preface:

[…] a unique perspective on this important subject in a number of ways it is the first book to combine the best aspects of both the casebook and legal analysis approaches, providing both detailed explanations and analysis of the law to help understand the issues as well as case extracts to offer a flavor of the judicial reasoning of trade adjudicators. Moreover, the book is truly global in outlook, being equally useful for students of International Trade Law in the UK, Europe, the USA, Asia and elsewhere in the world. For instance, where domestic regulatory issues come into play, the book examines a variety of country practices, to illustrate how the rules apply around the world.

Because of its wide coverage, this book may not only be limited to students; it is equally relevant to professors, practitioners, researchers, government officials and politicians who need to comprehend the principles and practices of World Trade Law.

The book is not only comprehensive in its coverage but it is also scholarly, informative, challenging and innovative. It should certainly belong on the shelf of anybody who is seriously interested in World Trade Law. Its real value, distinguishing it from similar texts, lies not only in its comprehensive coverage of the principles of WTO law and policy but also in the wide range of materials, including excerpts from a broad range of writers and commentators, and cases.