Services facilitation refers to the simplification, modernisation, and harmonisation of services regulations with a view to reducing transaction costs. It is a key... READ MORE
Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) and smart contracts can be a key component of trade facilitation, bringing greater transparency, accountability, efficiency,... READ MORE
by MARK FELDMAN
September 21, 2018
States now face two competing – and strengthening – influences with respect to industrial policy: heightened scrutiny of industrial policy measures and... READ MORE
The cumulative difficulties faced by the multilateral trading system today are tantamount to a full-blown crisis.
There is a temptation on the p... READ MORE
by AMY PORGES
September 13, 2018
Effective dispute settlement raises the value of trade agreements and the return on governments’ investment in trade agreement negotiations.
... READ MORE
by DAN CIURIAK
August 28, 2018
The progressive shift of economic activity into the digital realm promises to create unprecedented incentives for strategic trade and investment policies.
... READ MORE
A sizable part of global trade and investment flows are governed by rules enshrined in free trade agreements and custom unions. These rules, however, can be surprising... READ MORE
Continued expansion of the multilateral agenda through the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and beyond, or Facilitation 2.0, represent... READ MORE
by STEPHAN W. SCHILL GERALDO VIDIGAL
May 4, 2018
The stalemate in WTO Appellate Body appointments may help bring to life dispute settlement in “mega-regional” trade agreements, such as the EU-Canada C... READ MORE
After decades of experience in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization, trading nations have become accustomed to orderly a... READ MORE
The expansion of the trade facilitation agenda, expressed as Facilitation 2.0, is critical in a time of global industrial and societal reorganisation, of which the... READ MORE
The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provides a path for institutional innovation. This post argues that the institutions that were... READ MORE
The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provides a path for institutional innovation. This post argues that the institutions that were... READ MORE
by HANNE MELIN
February 15, 2018
Internet-enabled commerce has the potential to reduce inequalities between and within countries, offering a tool for achieving the United Nations’ 10th ... READ MORE
by DAN CIURIAK MARIA PTASHKINA
January 9, 2018
The digital transformation has facilitated old modes of trade and business models and enabled the creation of entirely new ones. This piece&... READ MORE
It is now nearly always the case that regional trade agreements (RTAs) include provisions designed to facilitate and protect foreign direct investment (FDI). Con... READ MORE
The biggest benefit of trade agreements for most countries may be their ability to ‘lock in’ policy reforms. Major reforms to significant econo... READ MORE
by CARLOS BRAGA
December 13, 2017
The growing appeal of populist messages and doubts about the benefits of globalization materialized into two major developments in 2016: the referendum that led to dec... READ MORE
by HUGO ROMERO
December 6, 2017
Two out of eleven WTO Ministerial Conferences have taken place (or wil do so) in a country of Latin America (Mexico and Argentina). In this scenario, we consider that... READ MORE
by PATRICK LOW
December 1, 2017
E-commerce is rapidly becoming a more ubiquitous medium for commerce, bringing with it significant benefits. Like any other form of exchange in modern economies, r... READ MORE
by PETER DRAPER
September 26, 2017
The incorporation of sustainable development provisions in deeper regional trade agreements has expanded over time. In this article, the aut... READ MORE
As industry has moved to integrate and consolidate manufacturing, the application of domestic-centric regulations can engender unnecessary and duplicative actions... READ MORE
by JULIA MUIR
June 12, 2017
The rapid growth of the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) is changing the way we do business, consume, produce and interact with one... READ MORE
by JULIA MUIR
May 4, 2017
Most products today are made globally. The inputs used in their making come from all over the world, which means producers rely on highly integrated and well-functioni... READ MORE
Access to preferential import tariffs under free trade agreements (FTAs) is governed by rules of origin designed to be a non-tariff barrier to trade that prevents non-... READ MORE
by JULIA MUIR
September 28, 2016
This past two weeks, leaders from around the world gathered in New York to attend the United Nation’s General Assembly. One of the topics of discussion was the&n...; READ MORE
These days, the amount of data available about anything, anywhere, is growing much faster than our ability to process and really understand it. This is true in many fi... READ MORE
by CARLOS BRAGA
June 3, 2016
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, with its emphasis on dismantling behind-the-border trade restrictions and on fostering regulatory coherence, is often referred t... READ MORE
The WTO is at a critical juncture. For almost 70 years, the multilateral trading system embodied first by the GATT and now by the WTO has provided an unprecedented lev... READ MORE
One of the reasons – certainly not the only one - why countries have moved to regional negotiations is the READ MORE
by MARIE CHAMAY
May 26, 2016
At ICTSD for a number of years we have been closely studying the nature and evolution of today’s global trade and investment system, better described using... READ MORE
On October 5 the twelve members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) announced the conclusion of negotiations. Together, the member countries (Australia, B... READ MORE