What is the WTO?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the worlds trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business

History : Mid-1940s: Meeting in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, Created IMF and World Bank US tried to create ITO = International Trade Organization Interim agreement: GATT = General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade When ITO failed to be approved (by US!), GATT governed trade policy by default What GATT (and WTO) Does Rules for trade policy Forum for negotiation Of both trade policies (tariffs) and rules Negotiations take place in Negotiating Rounds Decisions made at occasional meetings of trade ministers: Ministerial Meetings (US trade minister is United States Trade Representative, Susan Schwab) What GATT (and WTO) Does Rules for trade policy Forum for negotiation Of both trade policies (tariffs) and rules Negotiations take place in Negotiating Rounds

Decisions made at occasional meetings of trade ministers: Ministerial Meetings (US trade minister is United States Trade Representative, Susan Schwab) What GATT (and WTO) Does NOT Do Regulate international financial transactions and markets Except in recent negotiations on trade in financial services (e.g., banking, insurance) Thats left up to IMF Assist developing countries Even though current Round is Doha Development Agenda Thats left up to World Bank WTO Today Established Jan 1, 1995 Members: 149 Most recent: Saudi Arabia December 2005 Including: China (as of 2001) Not including: Russia, Iran, Iraq, N. Korea Vietnam in process of being admitted Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland (also home of ILO, WIPO, and others) WTOs Three Parts GATT (Still exists, as largest part of WTO) GATS = General Agreement on Trade in Services TRIPs Agreement = Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights WTOs Most Basic Principles MFN = Most Favored Nation

Each member country should treat all members as well as it treats its most favored nation (i.e., the member that it treats the best) National Treatment Once a product or seller has entered a country, it should be treated the same as products or sellers that originated inside that country (There are many exceptions to both of these principles) WTO Decision Making Decisions by consensus: all 149 countries must agree, at ministerial meetings In contrast to IMF and World Bank In practice, large and rich countries dominate this process They first agree among themselves (This done in Green Room) Then seek consensus based on that Is this democratic Yes: Every country has one vote No: Rich countries dominate decisions

Activities:
1. Communication
a) Ministerial b) Negotiating Rounds c) Working Groups d) Trade Policy Review Mechanism e) Councils and Committees

2. Constraints
a) Tariff Bindings b) Customs Valuation c) Product Regulations d) Quantitative Restrictions e) Subsidies f) Foreign Direct Investment (TRIMS) g) Services (GATS) h) Intellectual Property (TRIPs)

3. Exceptions
a) Anti-Dumping b) Countervailing Duties c) Safeguards d) Balance of Payments Protection e) Preferential Trade Agreements

4. Dispute Settlement
a ) Consultation b) Panel Recommendation c) Appellate Body d) Remedy

Member Countries:
Albania ,Angola, Antigua and Barbuda ,Argentina 1 January 1995 Armenia , 5 February 2003 Australia, 1 January 1995 Austria , 1 January 1995 Bahrain, Kingdom of ,1 January 1995 Bangladesh ,1 January 1995

Barbados ,1 January 1995 Belgium , 1 January 1995 Belize , 1 January 1995 Benin , 22 February 1996 Bolivia, Plurinational State of , 12 September 1995 Botswana , 31 May 1995 Brazil ,1 January 1995 Brunei Darussalam ,1 January 1995 Bulgaria , 1 December 1996 Burkina Faso, 3 June 1995 Burundi , 23 July 1995 Cambodia ,13 October 2004 Cameroon, 13 December 1995 Canada , 1 January 1995 Cape Verde, 23 July 2008 Central African Republic , 31 May 1995 Chad , 19 October 1996 Chile , 1 January 1995 China , 11 December 2001 Colombia, 30 April 1995 Congo , 27 March 1997 Costa Rica ,1 January 1995 Cte d'Ivoire, 1 January 1995 Croatia, 30 November 2000 Cuba ,20 April 1995 Cyprus, 30 July 1995 Czech Republic , 1 January 1995 Democratic Republic of the Congo , 1 January 1,997 Denmark , 1 January 1995 Djibouti, 31 May 1995 Dominica , 1 January 1995 Dominican Republi,c 9 March 1995 Ecuador , 21 January 1996 Egypt , 30 June 1995 El Salvador, 7 May 1995 Estonia, 13 November 1999 European Union (formerly European Communities), 1 January 1995 Fiji , 14 January 1996 Finland , 1 January 1995 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), 4 April 2003 France, 1 January 1995 Gabon , 1 January 1995 The Gambia, 23 October 1996 Georgia, 14 June 2000 Germany , 1 January 1995 Ghana, 1 January 1995 Greece, 1 January 1995 Grenada, 22 February 1996 Guatemala, 21 July 1995 Guinea , 25 October 1995 Guinea Bissau , 31 May 1995 Guyana, 1 January 1995

Haiti , 30 January 1996 Honduras , 1 January 1995 Hong Kong, China, 1 January 1995 Hungary, 1 January 1995 Iceland , 1 January 1995 India, 1 January 1995 Indonesia , 1 January 1995 Ireland, 1 January 1995 Israel, 21 April 1995 Italy, 1 January 1995 Jamaica, 9 March 1995 Japan, 1 January 1995 Jordan , 11 April 2000 Kenya , 1 January 1995 Korea, Republic of , 1 January 1995 Kuwait, 1 January 1995 Kyrgyz Republic, 20 December 1998 Latvia , 10 February 1999 Lesotho, 31 May 1995 Liechtenstein , 1 September 1995 Lithuania 31 May 2001 Luxembourg, 1 January 1995 Macao, China , 1 January 1995 Madagascar, 17 November 1995 Malawi, 31 May 1995 Malaysia, 1 January 1995 Maldives, 31 May 1995 Mali , 31 May 1995 Malta , 1 January 1995 Mauritania , 31 May 1995 Mauritius, 1 January 1995 Mexico , 1 January 1995 Moldova , 26 July 2001 Mongolia, 29 January 1997 Morocco , 1 January 1995 Mozambique, 26 August 1995 Myanmar, 1 January 1995 Namibia , 1 January 1995 Nepal, 23 April 2004 Netherlands, For the Kingdom in Europe and for the Netherlands Antilles 1 January 1995 New Zealand , 1 January 1995 Nicaragua, 3 September 1995 Niger, 13 December 1996 Nigeria , 1 January 1995 Norway, 1 January 1995 Oman , 9 November 2000 Pakistan, 1 January 1995 Panama, 6 September 1997 Papua New Guinea, 9 June 1996 Paraguay , 1 January 1995

Peru, 1 January 1995 Philippines, 1 January 1995 Poland , 1 July 1995 Portugal , 1 January 1995 Qatar, 13 January 1996 Romania , 1 January 1995 Rwanda, ,22 May 1996 Saint Kitts and Nevis, 21 February 1996 Saint Lucia, 1 January 1995 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines , 1 January 1995 Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of, 11 December 2005 Senegal, 1 January 1995 Sierra Leone, 23 July 1995 Singapore, 1 January 1995 Slovak Republic, 1 January 1995 Slovenia , 30 July 1995 Solomon Islands , 26 July 1996 South Africa, 1 January 1995 Spain, 1 January 1995 Sri Lanka , 1 January 1995 Suriname, 1 January 1995 Swaziland , 1 January 1995 Sweden, 1 January 1995 Switzerland ,1 July 1995 Chinese Taipei, 1 January 2002 Tanzania, 1 January 1995 Thailand, 1 January 1995 Togo , 31 May 1995 Tonga, 27 July 2007 Trinidad and Tobago, 1 March 1995 Tunisia , 29 March 1995 Turkey, 26 March 1995 Uganda 1 January 1995 Ukraine ,16 May 2008 United Arab Emirates, 10 April 1996 United Kingdom , 1 January 1995 United States of America , 1 January 1995 Uruguay , 1 January 1995 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of , 1 January 1995 Viet Nam, 11 January 2007 Zambia , 1 January 1995 Zimbabwe , 5 March 1995

1. Changes in regulation Trade and investment liberalisation has advanced quickly (multilateral, regional/bilateral and autonomous measures) Effects:

 Liberalisation of border barriers has increased the cross-border effects of national regulatory regimes (receding waters of tariffs uncovering the rocks and shoals (Jackson 1983). More attention to behind-the-border conditions. Shift of trade policy towards influencing the overall functioning of markets Challenges: Trade has increasingly become the point of intersection for different values, cultures and traditions, embodied in national regulatory regimes (examples: agriculture, TRIPS, services, developmentrelated topics) Solving problems that arise from the interaction of national regulatory regimes often requires advanced types of regulatory cooperation (e.g. policy coordination or harmonisation). Negative vs. positive integration. Changes in production practices Globalisation of production: Cross-border fragmentation of production processes, growth of intra-industry trade, outsourcing Most visible in industrial production, but increasingly concerns other business processes such as supporting services and R&D Effects: Globalized production requires different types of rules than a traditional system based on the international trade of finished goods.

Not only exports matter, but also imports, investments and the overall ability to operate in foreign markets. Services and intangible goods (such as intellectual property) increasingly important Challenges: Trade policy is still largely guided by a mindset from the past. Negotiators reduce border protection/ discrimination in exchange for improved access to foreign markets. This is practical in some cases, but not always.

There is a gap between the traditional logic of trade negotiation and the current needs of global economic cooperation.

3. Structural changes in the world economy New significant players have entered the global economy (BRICs, etc.), and the geographical distribution of production and consumption has shifted towards the emerging markets Short-term: Global economic and financial crisis Effects: A more diverse group of countries in the WTO More competition in various export sectors Economic downturn increases the relevance of domestic economic politics, at the cost of international cooperation Challenges: In the WTO system, difficulty to accommodate the interests of a heterogeneous group of influential countries. Leads to slow trade negotiations and alternative solutions such as bilateral and regional trade agreements. Increased risk of protectionism and economic nationalism

Organizational Structure;

NAFTA
What is NAFTA?: NAFTA is short for the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA covers Canada, the U.S. and Mexico making it the worlds largest free trade area (in terms of GDP). NAFTA was launched 15 years ago to reduce trading costs, increase business investment, and help North America be more competitive in the global marketplace

NAFTA was signed by President George H.W. Bush, Mexican President Salinas, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1992. It was ratified by the legislatures of the three countries in 1993. The House approved it by 234 to 200 on November 17 and the Senate by 60 to 38 on November 20. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 8, 1993 and entered force January 1, 1994. Although it was signed by President Bush, it was a priority of President Clinton's, and its passage is considered one of his first successes. (Source: History.com, NAFTA Signed into Law, December 8, 1993

ASEAN
Member Countries:

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

VietNam

History:
The ASEAN Charter was signed on 20 November 2007. The ASEAN members also issued a Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) with adopted the AEC Blueprint for the implementation of the AEC by 2015. The Declaration says that "[t]he AEC Blueprint will transform ASEAN into a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy." This presentation will consider whether the legal frameworks and institutions in ASEAN are sufficient to transform the vision of that Declaration into a reality. Is ASEAN more than the sum of its parts or less? Originally a security bloc to show solidarity against communist expansion. Backdrop of the Konfrontasi. Therefore Bangkok Declaration on 8 August 1967 emphasised cooperation, amity and non-interference. Different instinct than Schumans supranational European Coal and Steel Commission. This resulted in the ASEAN Way. Bali Summit in 1976 put economics on the agenda. In 1992, idea of a regional bloc formed with the CEPT scheme and AFTA. In 2001, idea of a hub-spoke model for ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea first enunciated. 2007 ASEAN Charter and ASEAN EC Blueprint. Momentous Constitutional Moment? From the ASEAN Secretariat website: The ASEAN Economic Community is, as outlined in the 1997 ASEAN Vision 2020, the end-goal of economic integration measures. The goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment

and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. The ASEAN Economic Community seeks to establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, so as to make ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. 3 Main Building (Stumbling?) Blocks AFTA, ASEAN Charter and AEC Blueprint From the ASEAN Secretariat website: The ASEAN Economic Community is, as outlined in the 1997 ASEAN Vision 2020, the end-goal of economic integration measures. The goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. The ASEAN Economic Community seeks to establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, so as to make ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. 3 Main Building (Stumbling?) Blocks AFTA, ASEAN Charter and AEC Blueprint

Organizational Structure:

The ASEAN Economic Community is, as outlined in the 1997 ASEAN Vision 2020, the end-goal of economic integration measures. The goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020. The ASEAN Economic Community seeks to establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, so as to make ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. 3 Main Building (Stumbling?) Blocks AFTA, ASEAN Charter and AEC Blueprint

OPEC

History : 1960s Five Founding Members seek to assert rights in oil market dominated by Seven Sisters, Secretariat moved from Geneva to Vienna 1965

1970s Rose to international prominence, 2 oil pricing crises1980s Prices peaked in beg., 3rd oil pricing crisis 1986, environmental issues appear on agenda 1980s Prices peaked in beg., 3rd oil pricing crisis 1986, environmental issues appear on agenda 1990s 4th pricing crisis averted, stability until 1998, then collapse in wake of downturn in South East Asia

Member Countries:
Founding Members: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and Venezuela Full Members: Qatar, Libya, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and Nigeria Founding Members have veto power over admission of new members (otherwise all countries have equal rights) Any country with substantial exports and same petroleum interests are eligible to join

Activities:
The OPEC Conference: supreme authority, meets generally in March and September Heads of Delegation: official representatives of each Member Country Board of Governors: directs management, draws up budget Secretariat: carries out executive functions, consists of Secretary General and Research Division

APEC
History of APEC
The Asian Pacific Endodontic Confederation (commonly known as APEC) began in December 1985 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first of two organisational meetings of representatives from participating national endodontic societies and associations in the Asian Pacific region. The second organisational meeting was held in Manila, The Philippines, in November 1986. The major task achieved at that meeting was the finalisation of the first Constitution. This constitution was then ratified during the 1st Scientific Congress of APEC which was held in New Delhi, India, in January 1988. The Confederation and its Constitution were registered with the Registrar of Societies in Hong Kong in November 1989