Dr. Sarita Jackson and Racquel Smith

Letter from the Editors
Countries could only watch as multilateral trade negotiations, which were supposed to be complete by December 2005, collapsed last year. However, the international trading community did not come to halt.
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The Rise of Regional Trade Agreements: Key Trends and Policy Implications
Kati Suominen, Inter-American Development Bank
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have proliferated spectacularly around the world over the past two decades. Indeed, along with the rise of the multilateral trading system, the rise of RTAs is one of the most important phenomena in the post-war international political economy. Read more . . .

The Rise of Regional Trade Agreements and Dispute Settlement Fora
10 Questions for Gary Horlick, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale And Dorr Llp
In this interview with WIIT co-editor Racquel Smith, Gary Horlick shares his expertise on the factors for consideration as WTO Members that are also parties to regional trade agreements pursue options for adjudication of disputes. Read more. . .

Bilateral and Regional Free Trade Agreements: The Future of U.S. Agricultural Trade
Renée A. Vassilos, University of California Davis
Bilateral and regional free trade agreements are a means immediately available for U.S. agricultural exports. While multilateral trade agreements may be considered a better tool for reducing discriminatory trade practices and encouraging governance reform among member countries, current multilateral talks are stalled over the issue of agriculture. Therefore, bilateral and regional agreements have become even more important for this globally significant sector.
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GSP is Good for America
Laura M. Baughman and Daniel Anthony, The Trade Partnership
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, established by the Trade Act of 1974, provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for certain goods from developing countries in an effort to promote development through trade rather than aid. Over the past 30 years, the program has undergone numerous changes, including the list of countries that receive GSP benefits, the conditions required of those countries to get or maintain benefits, and the products that the United States allows developing countries to export without paying standard tariff rates. Read more . . .

Policy Anchors: Do Free Trade Agreements and WTO Accessions Serve As Vehicles For Developing-Country Policy Reform?
Michael Ferrantino, U.S. International Trade Commission
The WTO has received notifications of 167 FTAs which entered into force from the beginning of 1990 through July 1, 2005, and there may be others. It is sometimes claimed that FTAs between large countries and smaller developing countries serve as "policy anchors" by acting as a mechanism for the smaller developing country to make credible commitments to policy reform which they might not otherwise make. Is there evidence associating FTAs with policy reform, over and above preferential tariff reduction? Read more . . .

WIIT NEWS and REVIEWS
Trade and the Africa/Middle East Region: What Lies Ahead
Introduction to US Trade Law Enforcement
WIIT Gala and Auction: A Huge Success!
ITA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services Ana Guevara on Services in Global Trade
WIIT Professional Development Series:
Resume Writing with Georgetown University ’s Lisa Keathley
WIIT Pays Tribute to Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas
WIIT Ambassador Series: The U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement;
Implications for Oman and Women in Oman
2006 OWIT World Conference; Building the Bridge from Market Access to Global Trade Customs Committee Brown Bag: The new Office of International Trade
Join the WIIT 2007 Mentoring Program!