World Trade Law

Description

This course will provide an introduction to the regulation of international trade under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). New Zealand is a Member of the WTO, the organization responsible for regulating trade in goods, services and intellectual property at the international level. Moreover, these days trade rules impact on more than just trade: they restrict (or at least impact upon) Members’ policies in connection with (but not limited to) the environment, human rights, health, and culture.

The course will cover the institutional rules of the WTO set out in the WTO Agreement, the procedural rules set out in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), as well as the substantive rules. As to the substantive law, the course will focus on the three core WTO agreements, namely:
• the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (in goods) (GATT),
• the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and
• the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

The GATT lays down the basic principles of trade liberalization and will therefore take centre stage. One of the main themes will be the relationship between the WTO rules and competing social policies, with special emphasis on trade and the environment. As far as trade in services is concerned, we will elaborate the differences in the way the WTO regulates trade in goods and services.