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This volume analyzes the import patterns of selected countries to determine which nations are active importers and which ones import much less than expected. The majority of the work focuses on the industrialized countries, which are at the center of the international trading system, determining which are very active importers and which are not. Controls for wealth, size, and membership in customs areas are included. Countries importing at levels below predicted ones are the countries likely to be most effective at protecting domestic industries from foreign competition. For example, the results permit an evaluation of the arguments that Japan has consistently imported less than would be expected due to the presence of barriers protecting the domestic market.

As firms from East Asia gain global market share they are stirring trade disputes with import-competing firms in the West. Jessica Liao analyzes the role played by government-business collaboration in determining how effective East Asian governments are in helping their exporters gain an edge over western competitors through WTO litigation.

In less than three decades, China has grown from playing a negligible role in international trade to being one of the world's largest exporters, a substantial importer of raw materials, intermediate outputs, and other goods, and both a recipient and source of foreign investment. Not surprisingly, China's economic dynamism has generated considerable attention and concern in the United States and beyond. While some analysts have warned of the potential pitfalls of China's rise—the loss of jobs, for example—others have highlighted the benefits of new market and investment opportunities for US firms. Bringing together an expert group of contributors, China's Growing Role in World Trade undertakes an empirical investigation of the effects of China's new status. The essays collected here provide detailed analyses of the microstructure of trade, the macroeconomic implications, sector-level issues, and foreign direct investment. This volume's careful examination of micro data in light of established economic theories clarifies a number of misconceptions, disproves some conventional wisdom, and documents data patterns that enhance our understanding of China's trade and what it may mean to the rest of the world.

This book examines international trade cooperation in 1815–1914. Basing the theoretical analysis on the domestic political economy of states, Pahre develops theories of international cooperation, the spread of trade cooperation, and the effect of trade regimes. The book examines trade politics in the entire century from 1815 to 1914 around the world, using a database of trade agreements. It will appeal to students of international relations, comparative political economy, economic history, trade law, and international organizations.

The world of multinational enterprises is changing dramatically. Their complex and dynamic international context presents them with special challenges - threatening their survival on one hand, and presenting them with unprecedented opportunities on the other. In this volume, international experts analyze different aspects of the transformations in global governance: ideological variations, trade governance, competition policy and the rise of civil society. They discuss the implications for multinational-government relations, multinationals'self-governance, relations with NGOs and issues of competitiveness.The book focuses on two forces integral to the process of globalization. The first is the evolution of inter-governmental organizations, such as the World Trade Organization, and various agreements pertaining to trade, environment, labor, competition and investment. The other equally important factor is the rise of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which have a significant impact on the strategies of multinational enterprises, governments and inter-governmental organizations. The contributors explore these forces in chapters detailing shifts in governance and their implications for multinationals, governments and society in general.This cohesive examination of an under-analyzed area will appeal to students and scholars of international business, and other researchers in management schools, think tanks, management consulting companies, government agencies, inter-governmental organizations, and NGOs.

With more than eighty chapters, this three-volume work – described by the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization as an'outstanding contribution'to understanding the world trading system – is by far the most comprehensive study yet undertaken of the WTO. The core of the book is the section on the legal framework of the WTO, which contains detailed legal analyses of the GATT 1994 and each of the specialized WTO agreements, as well as a discussion of the institutional framework of the WTO. The book also includes a number of chapters on the WTO dispute resolution process – a critical part of the world trading system – and on the growing phenomenon of regional trade agreements. In addition, the book contains sections discussing important political aspects of the WTO, such as the relationship between trade and the environment, labor, and human rights. A section on economic issues includes chapters analyzing the economic aspects of such critical issues as anti-dumping, safeguards, trade and the environment, and trade and labor. A series of country reports considers the WTO from the perspective of individual members and would-be members, ranging from the United States and the European Union to Mongolia.

It is a widely held view that politics plays an important role in determining international trade policy. Defining precisely why, and how, politics matters is more difficult. Despite the benefits of trade, few nations have wholeheartedly adopted free trade policies, and when they do so it is by managing trade through international institutions and multi- or bilateral trade treaties.International Trade and Political Institutions broadens the public choice theory of trade politics to allow for the study of ideas and institutions within a longer time horizon. The authors use theoretically rigorous historical analysis of international political economy and four important case studies to help untangle the role of ideology, institutions and interests. This illuminating book connects the fields of economics, political economy and history to shed new light on trade theory.Scholars of political science and economy, economics and history will all find this book fascinating and worthwhile reading.