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Background/Objectives: This paper will compare the outcomes—safety and efficacy—of three minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGSs),the Hydrus Microstent, iStent, and Gonioscopy-Assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy (GATT), for intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: A literature search of Ovid Medline and Embase identified studies evaluating the Hydrus, iStent, and GATT. Data on IOP reduction, medication use, and complications were analyzed. Results: Studies show the Hydrus, iStent, and GATT reduce IOP and medication burden in POAG patients, with some complications. For the Hydrus, studies showed 37.09% (27.5 ± 4.4 to 17.3 ± 3.7 mmHg) and 25% (16.8 to 12.6 mmHg) IOP reduction. Meanwhile, medication burden decreased from 2.5 ± 0.7 to 1.0 and from 2.1 to 1.15. For the iStent, studies showed a 36.39% (21.1 to 13.4 mmHg) and 8.19% (17.1 to 15.7 mmHg) IOP drop. Medication burden decreased from 2.87 to 1.24 and from 1.7 to 0.26. For GATT, studies showed a 49.33% (27.70 ± 10.30 to 14.04 ± 3.75) and 39.09% (26.40 ± 6.37 to 16.08 ± 2.38) IOP drop. Medication burden reduced from 3.73 ± 0.98 to 1.82 ± 1.47 and from 3.12 ± 0.80 to 0.45 ± 0.96. Conclusions: The Hydrus, iStent, and GATT are effective alternatives to trabeculectomy for mild to moderate POAG. They reduce and control IOP and dependence on medications with manageable safety profiles. In all three options, there were some clinically significant complications based on the p-value. For the Hydrus, it was PAS. For the iStent, they were PAS, FB sensation, IOP spikes, and microhyphema. For GATT, it was IOP spikes. However, further long-term studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are needed to support these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This retrospective chart review aims to report a combined surgical approach of intraocular lens (IOL) fixation and gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) for the treatment of subluxated IOLs and glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Methods: Charts of patients who underwent IOL fixation combined with GATT between November 2019 and July 2023 were reviewed. The main outcome measure was surgical success, defined as a well-centered IOL and an IOP of 18 mmHg or lower and either a 30% IOP reduction or a reduction in medications as compared to baseline. Complications and the need for reoperation were recorded. Results: Eleven patients who underwent GATT with IOL fixation were included. The mean age was 80.45 years (range: 73–90). IOL subluxation was associated with pseudoexfoliation in all cases. Seven patients underwent scleral fixation, and four underwent iris fixation. The mean follow-up was 15.36 (range: 2.7–26.6) months. The success rate was 72.73%. The mean baseline IOP was 20.63 ± 6.56 mmHg on 2.81 ± 1.53 medications. Four patients were on oral carbonic-anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) before surgery. The mean IOP at the end of the follow-up was 13.86 ± 3.5 mmHg on 1.36 ± 1.57 medications, and none were on oral CAIs. No intraoperative complications occurred, and transient hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage were the most common postoperative complications. All patients had a well-centered IOL. No patients needed additional surgery for IOL position or IOP control. The mean corrected distance visual acuity was 0.634 ± 0.62 logMAR at baseline and 0.36 ± 0.38 at the end of follow-up. Conclusions: GATT can be combined with IOL fixation to the sclera or iris to effectively reduce IOP and medication usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the risk of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) inducing an uveitic flare-up in patients with uveitic glaucoma (UG). Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive UG patients who underwent GATT at a single medical center between June 2020 and September 2022. The main outcome measure was the occurrence of a surgery-related uveitic complication defined as either an uveitic flare-up defined by the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria, or the appearance of cystoid macular edema (CME) from 2 weeks to 3 months after surgery. Results: A total of 25 eyes of 22 patients were included in the study. Age ranged from 10–78 and 64% were women. The most common uveitic etiologies were juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, 24%) and herpetic infection (24%). A total of 48%of the patients were on systemic immunosuppressants prior and unrelated to surgery. Eight eyes (32%) had severe glaucomatous damage prior to surgery, and 20% of the patients had undergone previous glaucoma surgery. Two cases (8%) demonstrated uveitic flare-up in the early postoperative period: a case of mild anterior chamber reaction and a case of CME with persistent edema prior to surgery. Average intraocular pressure (IOP) was reduced from 26.7 mm Hg on four medications to 12.2 on 1.1 after 1 year. One patient required reoperation for IOP control. Conclusions: With careful pre and postoperative care, GATT seems to be a low-risk procedure for uveitic flare-ups in patients with UG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (hereinafter "UFLPA") began to be enforced by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since June 21, 2022, there are about 6,000 detention cases of the "rebuttable presumption" on the use of forced labor in Xinjiang and elsewhere. In addition, the scope of enforcement of the UFLPA is expanding into cutting edge technologies including electric vehicles. In addition, the European Union has also introduced a legislative proposal to ban the trade of products using forced labor regardless of origin. Under the World Trade Organization (hereinafter "WTO") system, prohibition of products using forced labor may be subject to two kinds of analysis: 1) whether the use of the forced labor may constitute a qualifier to distinguish products not using forced labor under General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (hereinafter "GATT") Articles I and XI; and 2) whether the prohibition of products using forced labor may still be justified under the general exceptions under Article XX of the GATT 1947. These issues lead to the analysis on the issue of Process-Production Methods (hereinafter "PPM"). There have been numerous GATT and WTO dispute settlement cases on PPM issues in the context of environment and animal safety issues. However, the existing jurisprudence has not led to the full resolution of the PPM issues. Meanwhile, there is no WTO jurisprudence on products using the labor practices inconsistent with the ILO standards. The prohibition of forced labor is clearly prohibited under the International Labour Organization (hereinafter "ILO") Conventions No. 30 and 105, and therefore, the UFLPA's import prohibition against goods using forced labor may be justified under the ILO Conventions, and therefore, justified under GATT Article XX(a). However, such nonproduct-related PPM may not pass the "necessity" test under GATT Article XX(a) and the Chapeau of the GATT XX. However, the author is of the view that application of PPM regulation in the "forced laborfree" labeling or GATT XX general exceptions may require further international consensus and research, regardless of whether they fall under the WTO auspices or somewhere else. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the principal reasons for the establishment of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) between countries is to negotiate the reciprocal reduction and/or elimination of customs tariffs. According to Mongolian law, the Customs General Administration of Mongolia (CGAM) is responsible for determining the optimal rate and amounts of customs duties. As such, it plays a leading role in the negotiation of tariffs and the implementation of FTAs with partner countries. This paper examines the legal text of tariff negotiations and the modality of reducing tariffs, and determines specific goods of interest for tariff negotiations within the framework of the agreement between Mongolia and the Republic of Korea (ROK), based on analysis of the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index. The results of the analysis show that, during the negotiation process, Mongolia should focus on textiles and apparel, as well as agricultural production, while the ROK should concentrate on automobiles, items of machinery and their parts, tobacco, cosmetics and noodles. This study should prove useful to Mongolian Customs experts and tariff negotiation team members, trade policy makers and domestic producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the complexities and challenges associated with onshoring manufacturing through local content requirements within the context of World Trade Organization (WTO) law. Governments have intensified efforts to relocate production within their territories, leveraging local content requirements and incentives. This shift is primarily justified by the need for supply chain resilience, public health, and national security, aiming to mitigate risks associated with reliance on foreign suppliers during crises. However, these strategies may conflict with WTO obligations, particularly those concerning trade-related investment measures and subsidies. Using pharmaceuticals as a case study, this article explores the rationale, scope, and implications of WTO rules on local content policies. The analysis provides insights into how nations navigate the delicate balance between enhancing domestic capabilities and adhering to international trade laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantify the effects of GATT/WTO membership on trade and welfare. Using an extensive database covering manufacturing trade for 186 countries over the period 1980–2016, we find that the average partial equilibrium impact of GATT/WTO membership on trade among member countries is large, positive, and significant. We contribute to the literature by estimating country-specific estimates and find them to vary widely across the countries in our sample with poorer members benefitting more. Using these estimates, we simulate the general equilibrium effects of GATT/WTO on welfare, which are sizable and heterogeneous across members. We show that countries not experiencing positive trade effects from joining GATT/WTO can still gain in terms of welfare, due to lower import prices and higher export demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This retrospective chart review aims to report a combined surgical approach of intraocular lens (IOL) fixation and gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) for the treatment of subluxated IOLs and glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Methods: Charts of patients who underwent IOL fixation combined with GATT between November 2019 and July 2023 were reviewed. The main outcome measure was surgical success, defined as a well-centered IOL and an IOP of 18 mmHg or lower and either a 30% IOP reduction or a reduction in medications as compared to baseline. Complications and the need for reoperation were recorded. Results: Eleven patients who underwent GATT with IOL fixation were included. The mean age was 80.45 years (range: 73–90). IOL subluxation was associated with pseudoexfoliation in all cases. Seven patients underwent scleral fixation, and four underwent iris fixation. The mean follow-up was 15.36 (range: 2.7–26.6) months. The success rate was 72.73%. The mean baseline IOP was 20.63 ± 6.56 mmHg on 2.81 ± 1.53 medications. Four patients were on oral carbonic-anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) before surgery. The mean IOP at the end of the follow-up was 13.86 ± 3.5 mmHg on 1.36 ± 1.57 medications, and none were on oral CAIs. No intraoperative complications occurred, and transient hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage were the most common postoperative complications. All patients had a well-centered IOL. No patients needed additional surgery for IOL position or IOP control. The mean corrected distance visual acuity was 0.634 ± 0.62 logMAR at baseline and 0.36 ± 0.38 at the end of follow-up. Conclusions: GATT can be combined with IOL fixation to the sclera or iris to effectively reduce IOP and medication usage.

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy. In 2040, it is estimated that more than 110 million people will have glaucoma. For this reason, there have been severe changes in the management of glaucoma in recent years. Although trabeculectomy is the gold standard in surgical treatment, many surgical methods have been defined as minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).1 Most of these are surgical approaches with implants, but there are also MIGS techniques without implants. Compared to conventional filtration surgery, MIGS promises a faster recovery and fewer severe complications.2 It can be performed in combination with cataract surgery.3 This review will review the current literature on MIGS, and surgeries with and without implants will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For the last decades, following an increase in environmental crises, the protection of the environment has been one of the greatest concerns for human beings. Despite the primary objective of the World Trade Organization (WTO) being the promotion of free trade, the severe destruction of the environment due to business activities has forced us to put forward this case in the WTO. As the most significant and influential international organization, the WTO plays a great role in international trade. Sustainable development and protection and preservation of the environment are fundamental goals of the WTO. These objectives, enshrined in the Marrakesh Agreement that established the WTO, complement the WTO's mission to reduce trade barriers and eliminate discriminatory treatment in international trade relations. While the WTO lacks a specific agreement dealing with environmental issues, its members can adopt trade-related measures aimed at protecting the environment, subject to fulfilling specific conditions to avoid the misuse of such measures for protection purposes. The WTO contributes to the protection and preservation of the environment through its objective of ensuring sustainable development, its rules and mechanism for enforcement, and its work in different WTO bodies. Methods: The present study employed approach was to use related articles in Google Scholar and Magiran and records and agreements in WTO to examine environmental cases. Results: The cases analyzed in this study were the following: the gas case with the old and new formula (the US-Gas), the case of the European Union (fireproof cotton), and the case of the turtles and shrimp fishing. Conclusion: The results showed that although the WTO has achieved some environmental milestones, it has not been sufficiently effective in resolving the environmental challenges caused by energy trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'causal link' requirement for the adoption of safeguard measures, under Article 4.2(b) of the Agreement on Safeguards, has been one of the most controversial disciplines under the WTO Agreement. Some critics, such as Alan O. Sykes, point out logical and practical defects in the WTO panels' and the Appellate Body's findings on this topic. This article attempts to clarify the requirements of the 'causal link', adopting a new microeconomic analytical model that accounts for the precise conditions of competition between imported and domestic products. The analysis reveals that the 'causal link' requirement calls for a demonstration that the factors falling into the category of 'unforeseen developments' under Article XIX:1(a) of the GATT 1994 have caused both increased imports and domestic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucoma is a disease that leads to optic nerve damage and irreversible loss of the visual field. Gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) is a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery technique, where the surgeon opens the trabecular network and Schlemm's canal to improve the outflow of the aqueous humor. This method has shown efficacy in reducing intraocular pressure in patients with primary and secondary glaucoma. GATT has gained popularity due to its minimally invasive nature, compatibility with cataract surgery and relatively low cost. Despite its advantages, the procedure can be associated with many complications such as hyphema, intraocular pressure spikes and corneal edema. In rare cases, it can lead to Descemet's membrane detachment or cystoid macular edema. The success of GATT procedure mostly depends on the surgeon's skill and experience, but also on the patient's risk factors, including age and preoperative intraocular pressure levels. Further studies are required to understand long outcomes and identify the patients, who may be at higher risk of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes (IOP > 30 mmHg or > 10 mmHg above baseline IOP) are a common and worrisome complication of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT). The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for IOP spikes and to describe their characteristics, management, and clinical course in a large cohort of patients. Methods: A retrospective, single-center study which included 217 consecutive eyes of patients that underwent GATT between December 2019 and April 2022 with follow-up of at least 90 days. Results: IOP spikes occurred in 52 of 217 (24%) eyes. Spikes occurred in 15.5% of patients in whom pre-operative IOP-lowering medications were continued after surgery (90 eyes), and in 29.9% in whom IOP-lowering medications were stopped after surgery (127 eyes). Spikes were diagnosed at a mean of 7.7 ± 6.5 days after surgery. All IOP spikes occurred within the first month of surgery. The mean duration of a spike was 4.9 ± 5.4 days. Management of IOP spikes included adding a mean of 3.13 ± 1.7 groups of glaucoma medications. Thirty-seven (72.5%) eyes were treated with oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, 11 (21.6%) were treated with IV mannitol, and anterior chamber paracentesis was performed in 16 (31.4%). Six (11.8%) eyes underwent additional glaucoma surgery to control IOP. Patients that continued their pre-operative IOP-lowering medications after surgery were 2.3 times less likely to develop a spike as compared to patients who discontinued their medications (P = 0.016). Spikes were found to be a risk factor for failure of GATT. Conclusions: IOP spikes are a common occurrence after GATT. They most commonly appear during the first two post-operative weeks and usually resolve with topical and systemic IOP-lowering treatment. The continuation of IOP-lowering medications after GATT is recommended to lower the risk of IOP spikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the impact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade's Agreement on Agriculture (GATT AA) on outcomes outlined as its sustainability goals. They include adopting and sustaining agricultural practices to lower fertilizer pollution from nitrogen and phosphate, as well as to lower CO2 levels from vegetal and animal production. This study evaluates if these goals were met for those nations that joined the GATT AA. Applying an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework, we examine the change in levels of the specific pollutants specified in the GATT AA's Application of Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) provision for 101 countries for the time frame pre- and post- joining the GATT AA. The results suggest that wealthy GATT AA member nations were able to lower their integrated agrarian toxicity relatively more and mainly through increasing the imports of foodstuffs. The implication is that trade liberalization may have allowed richer nations to lower their pollution levels by importing rather than producing certain crops associated with relatively more toxic fertilization. Further investigation can analyze such findings in the context of changing assumptions of EKC and Ecologically Unequal Exchange theories.

RESUMO Este artigo argumenta que o estabelecimento de um código de salvaguardas é uma das questões básicas a serem enfrentadas pela atual rodada de negociações do GATT. A Seção II discute o papel das medidas de salvaguardas como instrumentos de proteção, mostra os problemas decorrentes da falta de um código sobre o assunto e indica as opções viáveis de regulamentação. A Seção III analisa o funcionamento dos códigos antidumping e de subsídios na década de 80, com ênfase nos impactos das ações de outros países contra as exportações brasileiras, e revela a interação desses códigos com outros instrumentos de proteção utilizados pelos países desenvolvidos. A Seção IV resume os principais pontos do artigo.

Deutsche und europäische Ansätze für die Regulierung von Lieferketten sind (potenzielle) Handelsbeschränkungen im Sinne des Welthandelsrechts. Der Beitrag wirft die Frage auf, ob alle vorgesehenen und schon vorhandenen Maßnahmen in ihrer Breite und in Bezug auf alle Schutzgüter nach dem Welthandelsrecht rechtfertigungsfähig sind.

In the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, around 40 countries/economies, including G7 members, responded to impose a wide range of economic, including trade-related, sanctions on Russia. The question immediately arises as to whether such sanctions violate the WTO agreements or are justified under the relevant national security exceptions. After introducing the material facts of the economic sanctions against Russia as well as the development of WTO jurisprudence on national security exceptions – particularly Article XXI(b)(iii) of the GATT –, this article goes on to analyse the WTO consistency of these trade sanctions against Russia, on a country-by-country and a measure-by-measure basis. From the standpoint of the "war or other emergency in international relations" and "its essential security interests" requirements, countries are categorised according to their geographic proximity and relationship (e.g., military alliances, customs unions, etc) to the belligerents, while measures are categorised by their nature and aim from the standpoint of the "necessary to protect" requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El trabajo está centrado en el análisis del surgimiento de un nuevo orden económico internacional, a partir del fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en 1945, hasta fines del pasado siglo, sus principales características, así como en la explicación de los pilares en los cuales se sustenta: el monetario financiero y el económico-comercial, como fundamentales, además de los pilares complementarios: el pilar militar, el político-ideológico y propagandístico y, finalmente, el pilar regulatorio de las relaciones internacionales. El nuevo orden respondió a los intereses de los vencedores en la contienda bélica, se caracterizó por la bipolaridad y se sustentó en los pilares mencionados. Funcionó con sus aciertos y desaciertos durante un largo periodo de tiempo, hasta 1991, y en la actualidad el orden unipolar conformado después de la desintegración del bloque socialista, necesita ser reestructurado.

Purpose: To report on delayed-onset hyphema following intravitreal injection of dexamethasone implant Ozurdex® in eyes with a history of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT). Observations: We describe two cases of hyphema occurring within one day following Ozurdex® implantation in eyes that had undergone GATT at least one year prior. One case responded well to medical management, while the other required anterior chamber paracentesis for intraocular pressure (IOP) control. Both patients achieved normalization of IOP following resolution of the hyphema, and have not had recurrence. Conclusions and importance: We propose that transient hypotony immediately after Ozurdex® injection may lead to a reflux of blood from the episcleral venous network into the anterior chamber in eyes with prior ab interno trabeculotomy. Glaucoma and retina specialists should be aware of this potential complication to guide follow up and management in the post-injection period for these patients.

If one wants to get a grasp on the international institutional arrangement of what J. G. Ruggie called “embedded liberalism,” which included the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), one must first carefully examine the conditions that made the regime of accumulation called Fordism possible. More precisely, it is essential to grasp how the particular evolution of class struggle in the US strongly influenced the organization of capitalism in this country, and subsequently the international institutions at the core of the embedded liberalism. Simply put, the thesis defended in this article is that the evolution of class struggle in the US in the 1930s and the following decades has been the main influence in the shaping of Fordism and an undervalued factor in the creation of the GATT. The GATT, in other words, is an agreement that strongly corresponds to the necessity of the management of the class struggle associated with Fordism.

Abstract Background To evaluate the safety and efficacy of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) in treating patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) who had failed prior incisional glaucoma surgery. Methods A consecutive case series of OAG patients aged ≥ 18 who underwent GATT with previous failed glaucoma incision surgery was retrospectively analyzed. Main outcome measures included intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of glaucoma medications, surgical success rate, and occurrence of complications. Success was defined as an IOP of ≤ 21 mmHg and a reduction of IOP by 20% or more from baseline with (qualified success) or without (complete success) glaucoma medications. For eyes with preoperative IOP of

Aparna Rao,* Sardar Mohd Khan,* Sujoy Mukherjee Glaucoma Service, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Aparna Rao, Glaucoma Service, LV Prasad Eye Institute, MTC Campus, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India, Tel +91 674 2653001, Fax +91 674 2653130, Email aparna@lvpei.org; vinodini10375@yahoo.comPurpose: To report the early postoperative causes of intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes after complete circumferential gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT).Methods: This was retrospective interventional case series of patients who underwent circumferential GATT by a single surgeon (APR) from 2021 to 2022 at a tertiary eye care in East India and who developed IOP spikes at 1 day-2 weeks (immediate) or early (> 2 weeks– 2 months) after GATT. The intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medications, and angle evaluation by ASOCT at 1 week, and 1 month were compared between the two groups.Results: Thirty-two eyes of 32 consecutive patients, aged 40± 20.1 years (20 exfoliation glaucoma, 9 juvenile open-angle, and 3 developmental glaucoma), that developed IOP spikes between immediate (n=20) or early (n=12) IOP spikes after GATT, were included. Immediate postoperative spikes were seen in 20 eyes due to retained viscoelastic (n=8), hyphema (n=8) in uncontrolled hypertension, and peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) (n=6) of which only one eye required medication at 2 months. Causes of immediate IOP spikes on ASOCT included an inverted/reattached trabecular shelf, iris strands in eyes with abnormal iris in developmental glaucoma, and PAS in 1– 2 quadrants. Causes of early IOP spikes included PAS > 3 quadrants (n=8), and hyperreflective fibrotic tissue over TM (n=4) with 50% requiring medications at 2 months. The ASOCT features predicting the need for medications were PAS > 3 quadrants (OR=8.4[2.2– 14.3], p=0.03) and fibrotic TM closure (OR=5.4, [3.6– 10.2], p=0.003). One eye with macrohyphema 3 days after surgery owing to uncontrolled hypertension (owing to the stoppage of medicines), required additional incisional trabeculectomy within 1 month of surgery.Conclusion: Immediate IOP spikes are mostly self-resolving as opposed to early IOP spikes > 2 weeks that require medications after GATT. Gonioscopic PAS > 3 quadrants, and fibrotic TM closure were the main identifiable ASOCT causes predicting the need for medications after GATT.Keywords: GATT, MIGS, angle surgery, intraocular pressure, anterior segment OCT, glaucoma surgery

This article reviews the journey of Hong Kong attaining and retaining the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership as a separate customs territory, and examines the present challenges for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to maintain its status within the multilateral trade system. By exploring the related facts and laws, the article concludes that Hong Kong has been a separate customs territory member of the GATT and WTO by virtue of the multilateral trade rules, and other countries are not entitled to revoke the HKSAR's separate customs territory status through unilateral measures. Given the past journey and present challenges with the separate customs territory status of Hong Kong, the following prospects can be drawn. The HKSAR remains qualified to possess full autonomy when conducting external commercial relations. A malfunctioning Appellate Body of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) may be incapable to safeguard the interests of HKSAR as a separate customs territory.

This Paper seeks to review the articles published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights (JIPR) in the first half of the second decade of the twenty-first century from Volume 15 (1) (2010) to Volume 19 (6) (2014). This is the fourth paper on the theme 'JIPR in IPR Research' and proceeds with the same argument and method as developed and used in the previous three papers published on the theme 'JIPR in IPR Research'. In this decade, two Special Issues on the themes 'IPR and Agriculture' and 'Leveraging IP for Business Advantage' were published with their separate guest editors. Compared to the previous decades, the articles published between 2010-2014 are maximum. Out of the total articles published between 1996-2014, the number of articles (251) published in this decade between 2010-2014 constitute 37.24 (point two four) compared to 32.64 (point six four) percent in 2005-2009, 19.58 (point five eight) percent in 2000-2004 and 10.53 (point five three) in 1996-1999. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Paper seeks to review the articles published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights (JIPR) in the second half of the first decade of the twenty-first century from Volume 10 (1) (2005) to Volume 14 (6) (2009). During this period, a total of seven post-independent enacted IP legislations were in force in the country. This Paper seeks to review the articles published in JIPR year-wise during the decade. Paper attempts to identify: (i) total number of issues published; (ii) total number of articles published; (iii) total number of contributions made by the Indian and foreign scholars; (iv) total number of sole and joint publications; (v) publishing style of JIPR; and (vi) areas of IP covered in each volume. A review of articles published during this period reveals that on an average, a total of 44 articles have been published in each volume. In the total articles published between 1996-2009, the articles published during the second half of the first decade of 21st century constitutes 52 percent (220 articles) compared to 31.20 percent published between 2000-2004 (132 articles) and 16.78 percent between 1996-1999 (71 papers). JIPR through an open-access platform has provided an opportunity to the IP scholars to publish their writings addressing the gaps in the areas of IP. In the end, Paper develops an argument that JIPR has significantly contributed in the development of IP by disseminating IP information and knowledge, and also in creating IP knowledge and awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To review the recent evidence in the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) in the management of pediatric and adult glaucoma. A literature search was performed in the electronic databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase the Register of Controlled Trials, and Ovid Medline for studies evaluating the safety and outcomes of GATT in glaucoma. GATT is a novel minimally invasive glaucoma surgery that allows the incision of the inner wall of Schlemm's canal increasing aqueous drainage through the physiologic outflow pathway with subsequent intraocular pressure reduction in different types if of glaucoma. GATT demonstrated favorable results in a wide range of both primary and secondary open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If one wants to get a grasp on the international institutional arrangement of what J. G. Ruggie called "embedded liberalism," which included the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), one must first carefully examine the conditions that made the regime of accumulation called Fordism possible. More precisely, it is essential to grasp how the particular evolution of class struggle in the US strongly influenced the organization of capitalism in this country, and subsequently the international institutions at the core of the embedded liberalism. Simply put, the thesis defended in this article is that the evolution of class struggle in the US in the 1930s and the following decades has been the main influence in the shaping of Fordism and an undervalued factor in the creation of the GATT. The GATT, in other words, is an agreement that strongly corresponds to the necessity of the management of the class struggle associated with Fordism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) in treating patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) who had failed prior incisional glaucoma surgery. Methods: A consecutive case series of OAG patients aged ≥ 18 who underwent GATT with previous failed glaucoma incision surgery was retrospectively analyzed. Main outcome measures included intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of glaucoma medications, surgical success rate, and occurrence of complications. Success was defined as an IOP of ≤ 21 mmHg and a reduction of IOP by 20% or more from baseline with (qualified success) or without (complete success) glaucoma medications. For eyes with preoperative IOP of < 21 mmHg on 3 or 4 glaucoma medications, postoperative IOP of ≤ 18 mmHg without any glaucoma medications was also defined as complete success. Results: Forty-four eyes of 35 patients (21 with juvenile-onset open-angle glaucoma and 14 with adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma) with a median age of 38 years were included in this study. The proportion of eyes with 1 prior incisional glaucoma surgery was 79.5%, and the others had 2 prior surgeries. IOP decreased from 27.4 ± 8.8 mm Hg on 3.6 ± 0.7 medications preoperatively to 15.3 ± 2.7 mm Hg on 0.5 ± 0.9 medications at the 24-month visit (P < 0.001). The mean IOP and the number of glaucoma medications at each follow-up visit were lower than the baseline (all P < 0.001). At 24 months postoperatively, 82.1% of the eyes had IOP ≤ 18 mmHg (versus 15.9% preoperatively, P < 0.001), 56.4% reached IOP ≤ 15 mmHg (versus 4.6% preoperatively, P < 0.001), and 15.4% achieved IOP ≤ 12 mmHg (compared to none preoperatively, P = 0.009). While 95.5% of eyes took 3 or more medications preoperatively, 66.7% did not take glaucoma medication 24 months after GATT. Thirty-four (77.3%) eyes achieved IOP reduction greater than 20% on fewer medications. The complete and qualified success rates were 60.9% and 84.1%, respectively. No vision-threatening complications occurred. Conclusions: GATT was safe and effective in treating refractory OAG patients who failed prior incisional glaucoma surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Paper seeks to review the articles published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights (JIPR) in the first half of the first decade of the twenty-first century from Volume 5 (1) (2000) to Volume 9 (6) (2004). During this period, a total of seven post-independent IP legislations were enacted in the country. This Paper reviews the articles published in JIPR yearwise. Paper attempts to identify: (i) total number of issues published; (ii) total number of articles published; (iii) total number of contributions made by the Indian and foreign scholars; (iv) total number of sole and joint publications; (v) publishing style of JIPR; and (vi) area of IP covered in each volume. Dissemination of information is a necessary condition for creation of new knowledge. JIPR through an open-access platform has provided an opportunity to the IP scholars to publish their writings addressing the gaps in the areas of IP. In the end, Paper develops an argument that JIPR has significantly contributed in the development of IP by disseminating IP information and knowledge and also in creating IP knowledge and awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty years after its founding, the WTO is experiencing unprecedented turmoil and uncertainty, as the United States has raised questions relating to its national sovereignty and expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness of multilateralism. Perhaps more importantly, United States representatives have questioned the fairness of Appellate procedures that appear to run counter to the interests of the United States. A recent dispute between Hong Kong and the United States over the question of the "branding" of goods emanating from the customs territory of Hong Kong has served as a "crisis point" or proxy to the larger dispute between the United States and China relating to needed reforms in the organization. How this dispute is resolved may go a long way in determining both the future of multilateralism and the participation of the United States in the World Trade Organization itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Taiwan Law Review is the property of Angle Publishing Co., Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2022 7(1), 239-252 | European Forum Insight of 13 May 2022 | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction. - II. Le MACF:entre protection du climat et défense commerciale. - II.1. Une extension du SEQE. - II.2. Une mesure climatique de défense commerciale. - III. Le MACF: une mesure climato-commerciale en prise avec la rigueur des disciplinaires commerciale de l'OMC. - III.1. La qualification juridique du MACF dans le droit de l'OMC - III.2. Le risque d'incompatibilité avec le principe de non-discrimination - III.3. La justification du MACF sur le fondement des exceptions générales. - IV. Le MACF: un révélateur de la nécessité de réformer les règles du droit international économique. - IV.1. Les défaillances du système économique international. - IV.2. Les perspectives de réforme du droit de l'OMC. - V. Conclusion. | (Abstract) The adoption of the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism raises several questions of compatibility with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Although the European Commission is presenting this measure as a “purely environmental” measure, it is, in reality, a trade defense measure that aims to protect the competitiveness of European companies. This does not detract from the legitimacy of the Carbon Border Adjustment (CBAM). But it does shed light on the outdat-ed nature of WTO law. Rather than looking at how to make the CBAM WTO-compatible, it is time for a deep reform of the rules of international economic law.

The European Union enacted the Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001 (RED II) policy under the pursuit of environmental protection. The authors will analyze how RED II is discriminative toward Indonesian trade of CPO, primarily within the concept of indirect land use change (ILUC), which restricts trade toward crude palm oil (CPO) whereas other domestic like products are exempted from such reduction. After the promulgation of this policy, Indonesia requested WTO to examine whether RED II follows the international obligations set forward in WTO. The author will analyze non-discrimination under WTO Law, specifically based on the provisions of Article 2.1, 2.2, and 5.1 Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement as well as Article III:4, XX(b), and XX(g) of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, alongside with relevant jurisprudence of WTO case laws. This research is conducted through juridical-normative method, which utilizes library materials and secondary data. The outcome of this study shows that RED II does violate obligations of non-discrimination based on GATT and TBT due to differential treatment of like products that inflicts less favorable treatment and unequal opportunities of competition for CPO.

After the end of the Second World War, the second half of the twentieth century brought in, one the one hand, the establishment of GATT provisions in 1947 and the legal texts implemented during its negotiation rounds as a regulatory framework, and on the other hand, the creation in 1995 of the WTO as the central normative entity for international trade. In this way, the states' economic opening strategy focuses on reducing rampant protectionism, usually reflected in tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers as foreign trade policy. Therefore, the GATT-WTO paradigm enhances trade flows between countries as freely as possible, contributing to economic growth and world development. Likewise, the GATT provisions endorsed the creation of many different typologies of trade agreements legitimated by its article XXIV and the Enabling Clause of the Tokyo Round. In this sense, the international trade agreements had a notable growth since the WTO establishment until the Great Recession in 2008. However, it is paradoxical that this approval from the GATT-WTO paradigm regarding the signing of these international trade agreements strengthen regionalism as the easy path, leaving out the multilateralism philosophy of the WTO, where precisely member governments try to solve the trade disputes through its legal framework but not through specific law from trade agreements. In this manner, this research carries out a descriptive study where trade agreements are marked adopting the sociological research scientific approach where a factual question is proposed to analyze the phenomenon. Hence, this paper suggests that the current legal framework in the GATT-WTO paradigm is not dynamic nowadays, pushing countries to sign international trade agreements for promoting commercial exchange and create new rules that, at the multilateral level, the GATT-WTO do not develop for political will absence and particular interests of some full members. A scenario that merely seems to undermine the WTO pushing countries to make parallel rules apart from the traditional multilateralism model giving a more prominent role to regionalism.

This paper seeks to review the articles published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights (JIPR) in the last decade of the twentieth century from Volume 1(1) (1996) to Volume 4(6) (1999). There are seven intellectual property (IP) statutes in force in India. When JIPR published its first Volume in the year 1996, only two IP statutes, legislated and enacted in post-independent India, were in force, namely: (i) The Copyright Act, 1957; and (ii) The Patents Act, 1970 -- enacted after 10 years and 23 years respectively after the independence of the country. Nevertheless, the Imperial Act on designs was also in force by the virtue of Article 372 of the Constitution of India, until the Indian Parliament enacted a separate statute on designs. Two statutes were enacted in 1999 and the other three statutes were enacted in the first decade of the 21st century but some of them took a time of almost a decade to come into force. For convenience, the papers published in JIPR have been reviewed year-wise. Paper attempts to identify the: (i) total number of issues published; (ii) total number of articles published; (iii) total number of contributions made by the Indian and foreign scholars; (iv) total number of sole and joint publications; (v) publishing style of JIPR; and (vi) area of IP covered in the publications. JIPR since its inception has aimed to fill void in the IP literature in general and the Indian IP literature in particular. Paper develops an argument that JIPR has significantly contributed in the dissemination of IP information and knowledge, and also in creating IP knowledge and awareness by publishing quality research articles on an open access platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Sociologia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Sociologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper applies an endogenous institutionalist framework to understand the evolution of the rules‐based international trading system since the end of World War II. We argue that the initial success of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs and re‐enforcement that led to the formation of the WTO can be explained by three major factors: the hegemonic position of the US, the belief that international trade would foster prosperity and peace, and Cold War politics. However, declining US hegemony along with a shift in global comparative advantage in labor‐intensive manufacturing led to a shift from multilateral towards preferential trade agreements since the 1990s. Today, the WTO faces several new challenges, including increasing geo‐political competition between the US and China, increasing digitization of commerce, and disrupted supply chains following COVID‐19. A functioning WTO that facilitates global economic re‐integration remains crucial to ensure a strong recovery from the pandemic and continued long‐term prosperity and stability of the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerando que el Impuesto a los envases de plástico no reutilizables busca reducir la utilización de estos productos dentro de España y que su hecho imponible incorpora un ajuste fiscal en frontera que impacta sobre el comercio internacional de bienes, el objetivo de este trabajo es comprobar si este impuesto se ajusta a los parámetros del GATT. De manera que, partiendo de la hipótesis que es posible alcanzar una sinergia entre los objetivos ambientales y los comerciales, pretendemos responder si este tributo ambiental se ajusta o no a las restricciones de los tratados de la OMC.

At the end of the 1960s, the Romanian authorities awarded more and more importance to foreign trade, aiming to increase trade relations with all states, regardless of their political and economic system. One of the main international organizations regulating international trade was the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), to which Romania became an observer in 1957 and with which it established “technical contacts” in 1966. This article investigates Romania’s diplomatic efforts to be accepted as a Contracting Party to the GATT. The timeframe of the paper spans from 1968, when Romania applied for membership to 1971, when it signed the protocol. In this sense, this article will look at Romanian-European Economic Community (EEC) contacts within the GATT, a subject rather ignored by the scholarship until now. For the first time in historiography, this article investigates Romania’s GATT accession negotiations. Based on multi-archival research, the work is structured into three main parts. The first section briefly presents the context in which, at the end of the 1960s, Romania decided to become a contracting party to GATT. This framework details the country’s expectations / hopes for accession. The second part analyzes the actual negotiations, highlighting especially the points of divergence between Romania and the contracting parties. The third part details the official and unofficial assessments of the Romanian side regarding the results obtained following the accession negotiations.

Purpose: The paper aims, from an African perspective, to investigate the practice of inconsistent custom duty valuations experienced by related MNEs and to explore the impact this may have on MNEs. Design/Methodology/Approach: Perceptions from industry experts from various African countries were sought by means of a questionnaire and supplemental literature was reviewed with a view to address the stated objectives. Findings: The main findings point to custom officials’ lack of knowledge of transfer pricing principles, possible corruption by custom officials and custom authorities keeping reference prices. The impact on MNEs appear to mainly relate to additional costs in the form of storage, consignment seizure, and lengthy court battles. Implications/Originality/Value: Strategies to address challenges arising in custom valuations suggest training of customs officials, coordination and exchange of information between relevant departments within the revenue authority and making use of advanced pricing agreements.

Abstract The Indonesian government through the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 11 of 2019 regarding the Second Amendment to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 25 of 2018 regarding Mineral and Coal Mining has decided to accelerate the implementation of nickel ore exports starting from January 1, 2020. This regulation is considered to violate the General Elimination of Quantitative Restriction in Article XI of the General Agreement in Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and is being sued by the European Union to the WTO DSB. This article analyzes the scope of Article XI of the GATT and the conformity of the regulation on the ban on the export of nickel ore with justification in the GATT regulatory framework. This article uses a normative juridical approach, with the research done by examining library materials and secondary data. This research is a descriptive-analytical study that analyzes legal instruments related to the issues discussed, to deliver a comprehensive and systematic comprehension of the scope and application of the Quantitative Restriction Principle. This article also shows DSB WTO interpretation on Quantitative Restriction cases is still considered narrow and overrides the goals and rights of a country. Abstrak Pemerintah Indonesia melalui Peraturan Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral No. 11 Tahun 2019 tentang Perubahan kedua atas Peraturan Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral No. 25 tahun 2018 tentang Pengusahaan Pertambangan dan Mineral Batubara (Permen ESDM 11/2019) memutuskan untuk memberhentikan kegiatan ekspor bijih nikel mulai dari tanggal 1 Januari 2020. Peraturan ini dianggap melanggar Prinsip Restriksi Kuantitatif dalam Pasal XI General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) dan dituntut oleh Uni Eropa kepada Dispute Settlement Body World Trade Organization (DSB WTO). Artikel ini menganalisa mengenai ruang lingkup dari Pasal XI GATT dan kesesuaian regulasi larangan ekspor bijih nikel dengan justifikasi dalam kerangka peraturan GATT. Artikel ini menggunakan metode pendekatan yuridis normatif, yakni penelitian hukum yang dilakukan melalui penelitian bahan pustaka serta data sekunder. Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif analitis yang menganalisa instrument-instrumen hukum terkait, untuk memberikan pemahaman secara menyeluruh dan sistematis terhadap ruang lingkup dan pemberlakuan Prinsip Restriksi Kuantitatif. Artikel ini juga menunjukan bahwa, interpretasi dari panel DSB WTO terhadap suatu kasus masih ternilai sempit dan mengesampingkan tujuan serta hak suatu negara.