National treatment Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This project involves an analysis into the interpretation of ‘like products’ as it occurs under Article III of the GATT with the help of the major case laws resolved by the WTO. The objective is to understand the approach taken in different interpretations of “like products” and thereafter, examine the merits of the same in light of the purpose of Article III. The first phase of the project takes up the intricacies of the concept of “likeness” in detail. This is followed by a critical analysis into different sources that are authorities in the interpretation of the term, including the 1970 Working Party Report and different case laws resolved by GATT/WTO. The final phase involves a very brief view of the ‘cultural exception’ to national treatment obligation.

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- International trade law, National treatment, WTO / INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW

There are various constructions of the ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment’ (FET) clauses in investment treaties. Many of them have combined the FET standard with other investment protection standards in the same clause. A simplistic interpretation of these clauses might lead to an understanding that the FET standard are synonymous with other standards prescribed by the particular investment treaties largely due to the flexibility and generality of the standard. This article will closely scrutinize this interrelation between the FET standard with some other investment protection standards. The demarcation line between and among these interaction is so thin that it becomes difficult to distinguish one standard from another. This article will discuss that the FET is indeed an overarching principle and despite some conceptual similarities with other investment protection standards the FET standard is unique and distinct in its own free standing in the international investment law regime and combining the standard with other investment protection standards is simply a stylistic matter and not a matter of substance to its content.

A review of the WTO caselaw on discrimination and national treatment in international trade in the light of the work of Robert Hudec. Reviews the rise and fall of the "aim and effect" jurisprudence of the 1990s, and its displacement by... more

- by Amelia Porges
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- Discrimination, WTO Trade Topics, WTO law, National treatment

The national treatment obligation is generally enshrined in contemporary international investment agreements, but its arbitral application does not unveil a coherent interpretative framework. As will be demonstrated by the analysis of the relevant case-law, every arbitral tribunal gives his personal reading of any single requirement of the clause (such as the " likeness " , for instance). Moreover, contrary to other standards, such as fair and equitable treatment and full protection and security, claims made under national treatment obligation are often dismissed by arbitrators. Notwithstanding these aspects, the present contribution is aimed at investigating the reasons behind the prudent approach of the arbitral tribunals toward national treatment, and even through a comparison with the similar provisions couched in GATT and GATS.

This paper examines the negative impact of the paralysis observed in the World Trade Organization (WTO) functioning on international business. We provide an overview of the loopholes in the WTO rules and principles which became serious threats for the multilateral trading system. Our research identifies important loopholes in the MFN clause, DSB and Appellate Body. We bring clarity that the paralysis observed in the WTO functioning is a consequence of these factors. The deviations and exceptions of the WTO rules permit the WTO members to compete "unfairly". China is among the economies which are the most efficient in this respect. We term China's behaviour on the global market as "economic factitious disorder". It can be explained as permanently maintaining the status of a developing country by China and using preferences for LDCs despite a really high level of economic development. These findings indicate that the WTO lacks the mechanism to react and to prevent such abuses. They were not envisaged by the WTO creators, which suggests the need of the WTO reform. We contribute to international business research and the international organizations literature by identifying the causes of the paralysis of the WTO functioning.
Keywords: Multilateral Trading System;International Business;WTO;MFN;DSB;Appellate Body.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization of 164 member countries.1 These 164 countries, regardless of their different levels of economic development and political powers have agreed to be bound by trade rules of the WTO for the purpose of reducing barriers to trade and ensuring trade liberalization.2 The WTO trade rules cover a very wide range of agreements specific to trade in goods and services.3 These include but are not limited to agriculture, textiles and clothing, banking, telecommunications, government purchases, industrial standards and product safety, food sanitation regulations, intellectual property, and much more.4 The WTO agreement is a multilateral trade agreement. This means that all members of the WTO have equal voting rights and by extension play on a leveled field.5 Thus, the adoption of the principle of non-discrimination which is the most important WTO principle that permeates all WTO trade agreements. The principle of non-discrimination is to the effect that any trade concession given to one member country must equally be extended to all other WTO members who are interested in trading with that country. The principle of non-discrimination further provides as a general rule that a member country cannot give its own country favorable trade preferences over other WTO member countries. Although the above describes as a general rule, the WTO principle of non-discrimination and the obligations of all members when negotiating a trade agreement, there are exceptions to the application of the principle of non-discrimination.6

- by SANDRA EBIKWO
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- Law, Non-discrimination, International Commercial Law, WTO law

Створена на початку 2022 року зона вільної торгівлі в межах Всебічного регіонального економічного партнерства (далі – ВРЕП) є результатом взаємних поступок 15 Азійсько-тихоокеанських держав із метою лібералізації торгівлі товарами та послугами, стиму- лювання іноземних інвестицій, посилення захисту прав інтелектуальної власності та операцій електронної комерції між країнами-чле- нами. Автор комплексно досліджує кожен із правових аспектів економічної інтеграції в межах ВРЕП, ця стаття розкриває умови, на яких держави-члени здійснюють транскордонну інвестиційну діяльність. Автор з’ясовує обсяг гарантій, які надаються іноземним інвесторам, порівнює недискримінаційні заходи у ВРЕП із релевантними двосторонніми інвестиційними договорами, договором АСЕАН про інвес- тиції та договорами в межах СОТ. Особливу увагу приділено дослідженню застережень, які держави зробили до розділу 10 «Інвестиції» угоди ВРЕП. Зокрема, автор розкриває метод формування списку застережень та дає оцінку обсягу застережень у межах різних інвес- тиційних договорів. Отже, в додатку 3 переліку A ВРЕП містяться умови щодо інвестування, які в майбутньому не можуть бути обмежені державою, проте держави можуть їх лібералізувати. Переліком В Розділу 3 ВРЕП передбачено зобов’язання, які держава може змінити у односторонньому порядку, наприклад, через чутливість певного сектору – державної оборони і безпеки. Зважаючи на відсутність меха- нізму вирішення інвестиційних спорів у Розділі 10 ВРЕП, автором розглянуто альтернативні способи пошуку правосуддя для іноземних інвесторів. На виконання п. 45 Стратегії зовнішньополітичної діяльності України з метою сприяння зовнішнім інвестиціям автор дослідив актуальний стан та динаміку вкладення інвестицій держав-членів ВРЕП в економіку України (і навпаки). На основі даних Державної служби статистики України та Національного банку України автор сформував гіпотезу щодо перспективних секторів економіки України. Наприкінці автор висловлює чіткі пропозиції щодо розвитку інвестиційної дипломатії (складник економічної дипломатії) України з Азій- сько-тихоокеанським регіоном.