International economic law (trade) Flashcards
Origins of international economic law
- Always present (ancient greeks, persians)
- 18th century: no protectionism -> open market ideas from Ricardo and Smith
- 1950s: Europen Community for Coal and Steal -> now Europen Economic Community
- 1990s: NAFTA -> now USMCA
Main actors (I Trade L)
- International monetary fund
- World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development)
- World Trade Organization
International Monetary Fund
For international Monetary law
Purposes
- international monetary cooperation
- Exchange rate stability
- Give resources to States with baòance of payment difficulties
Quotas: each memeber gives to the IMF depending on its relative shares of world economy
Contingent Reserve Arrangement: Funds for loans
Organs
- Executive board
- Board of directors
Principle of conditionality
Member state has to use the loan accoridng to IMF agreement and policies
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Help developing countries
- Belongs to World Bank Group
- Funds specific projects
- Funds arrive from private capital market
World Trade Organization
- Successor of GATT
- Subagreements important
- GATT
- GATS
- TRIPS
Alternative actors
Because Bretton Woods institutions born in colonial perpsective
- Asian Development Bank
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Contingent Reserve Arrangement
- New Development Bank from BRICS countries
BRICS countries
Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Iran
WTO: main achievements
- WTO Agreement
- GATT
- GATS
- TRIPS and WIPO
- sanitary and phytosanitary standards
- Technical barriers to trade
- Anti dumping code
- Anti subsidy agreement
- trade related investment measures
WTO: main principles
- Most Favoured Nation = to all States same conditions as the most favourable that the country has for another state. But does not apply to regional integration organizations (art XXIV GATT)
- National Treatment = imported goods should be treated by like product on national market
- Prohibition of quantitative restrictions
- Prohibition of dumping = no selling goods below market price
Exceptions to WTO main principles
In GATT art XX and XI
General exceptions and secirity exceptions
Challegned in regulating global trade with environmental turn
- 2015 Paris Agreement towards sustainable development
- cases (shell case and kilmaseniorinnen)
- Regional initiatives
- ETS (Emissions Trading System)
- Green Deal
- Trade and Sustainable Develolpment chapters in EU treaties
Bretton Woods system
- From 1944 Bretton Woods Conference
- created
- International Monetary Fund
- International Banck for Reconstruction and development
- GATT -> now WTO
- Capitalist basis
- Criticisms
- from communist/develping states: these institutions were created in colonial/capitalistic mindset and as such enhance structural injusteces and explitaion of poorer states
- Capitalism comes at the expenses of non eocnmic considerations (environment)
UN level steps in International Econ Law
1946: Conference on trade and development
1966: UN Commission on international trade law
Specialized agencies
informal network (es G20)
WTO and developing states
between the main principles of WTO there is the consideration of special need of developing states, meaning
- Preferential tariffs
- Exceptions from general obligations
- Transfer or technical know-how