"The link between food prices and poverty is as complex as it is important. Aksoy and Hoekman have put together a book that significantly advances our knowledge of this link. The book not only explores the conditions under which the poor are affected by food price movements but includes a number of empirical studies on the price-poverty link in specific developing countries. It deserves careful study by governments and NGOs." - Tim Josling, Professor Emeritus, Food Research Institute, and Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University "The timing of this book could hardly have been more appropriate: while the international community still ponders on the poverty implications of the 2007--8 global food crisis, food prices are on the rise again and create nervousness. Governments are being called upon to protect the poor against high food prices. But we know too little about the actual relationship between food prices and poverty. This book provides us with new insights into this critical link, and goes far beyond the simplistic views that have prevailed so far. Policy makers concerned about food prices and poverty should study it carefully." - Stefan Tangermann, Professor Emeritus, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Gottingen; former OECD Director for Trade and Agriculture "The spike in international food prices in 2008 was a reminder to the world of how vital food prices are for those billion or more people near or below the extreme poverty line. Most of those poor people live in rural areas, but many are net buyers rather than net sellers of food. Even so, they may benefit indirectly through higher wages when the farm price of food rises. The only way to identify which groups are at risk is though careful empirical studies at the household level for each country. This volume brings together a rich collection of such studies. By covering rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America, it offers a range of insights for policy makers who too often focus only on the more visible urban poor." - Kym Anderson, George Gollin Professor of Economics, University of Adelaide

This book summarizes the state of knowledge in the economic literature on trade and development regarding the costs of adjustment to trade openness and how adjustment takes place in developing countries. The contributions by leading experts look at: - the magnitude of trade adjustment costs in the presence of frictions in factor markets; - the impacts of trade shocks and greater trade openness; - the factors that affect the way trade, especially exports, adjust; - trade adjustment assistance programs in the US and compensation schemes for farmers in the EU. The book will be relevant to academics, students, policy-makers and trade practitioners alike. "Too often, policymakers avoid more open trade because they fear the adjustment costs, while proponents of such open trade overlook or dismiss them. This comprehensive set of papers takes these costs seriously and helps us appreciate where both sides go wrong. It provides an extremely useful survey of what we know and what we still need to know if the benefits from trade are to be more widespread within developing countries." - Robert Lawrence, Albert L. Williams Professor of International Trade, Harvard Kennedy School "Trade expansion generates huge potential gains to developing countries, but it may also produce pains to specific socio-economic groups. This volume by world-renowned trade and labour experts offers the first comprehensive assessment of how trade adjustment takes place in developing countries, what its costs are and how policy can help mitigate them. As such it is an important and timely contribution to the debate on the costs and benefits of globalisation for developing countries." - Andre Sapir, Professor of Economics, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, and former Economic Advisor to the President of the European Commission

The Political Economy of the World Trading System is a comprehensive textbook account of the economics, institutional mechanics and politics of the world trading system. This third edition has been expanded and updated to cover developments in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since its formation, including the Doha Round, presenting the essentials of trade negotiations and the WTO's rules and disciplines.
The authors focus in particular on the WTO's role as the primary organisation through which trading nations manage their commercial interactions and the focal point for cooperation on policy responses to the rapidly changing global trading environment. It is the forum in which many features of the globalisation process are considered, and it currently faces an unprecedented set of challenges. The increasing importance of countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa in international trade relations, the revealed preference towards regionalism, intensification of trade conflicts, the role of business groups and NGOs in trade policy formation and negotiations, and pressures for more leadership in an institution threatened by paralysis are examples of issues that are discussed in some detail; all are critical for the operation of the system and for international business in the coming decade. This edition also includes numerous real-world examples to illustrate how the WTO impinges on business, workers and households, written from the perspective of managers and business associations.
An insider's view of the institutional history of the WTO allows the authors to use a variety of conceptual tools to analyse the working of the WTO in a non-technical manner. Suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each chapter and an extensive bibliography make the volume suitable both for introductory and postgraduate courses on international economics and business, international relations, and international economic law.

The world has now faced the most severe global economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Governments have responded to the crisis with many initiatives, often with implications for the openness of their national economies to global markets. While the primary objectives have been to support demand and thus economic activity and employment, recognition of cross-border spillovers has led to calls for international cooperation and to refrain from beggar-thy-neighbour measures. Arguably these calls have been heard. Efforts have been made to coordinate policy responses, through the G20 and other fora. As recovery becomes an ever greater prospect in late 2009, the question arises as to whether current, primarily non-binding inter-governmental cooperation will be sustained. Protectionist pressures may increase as trade recovers, imports into markets expand, and job growth still lags. Also, many governments are left with little margin for manoeuvre in fiscal and monetary policy, and in the event of an economic relapse, trade and industrial policies threaten to become the default stop-gap. The purpose of this book is to examine the ways in which the existing manifestations of openness, including binding international accords, have constrained or enhanced the options available to national policymakers during the crisis and influenced the degree, and potentially even the effectiveness, of cross-border cooperation. By examining state responses during the crisis in a number of distinct policy domains, the different chapters reveal potential complementarities and tensions as governments seek to tackle sharp national recessions while being mindful of the growing role that the international dimension has played in influencing national economies in an era of globalization.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the most important international organizations in existence today. It contains a set of disciplines that affect the ability of governments to impose trade restrictions, and has helped to support the steady expansion of international trade since the 1950s. The WTO has been the focus of vociferous protests by anti-globalization activists and has experienced great difficulties in agreeing to new trade rules since its establishment. At the same time it has become the premier global forum for the settlement of trade disputes and has proven to provide a robust framework for international cooperation in the trade area. This book separates the facts from the propaganda and provides an accessible overview of the WTO's history, structure and policies as well as a discussion of the future of the organization. It also confronts the criticisms of the WTO and assesses their validity. New to the second edition: discussion of legislative amendments to the WTO Agreement, in particular Aid for Trade, the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and the Bali Package evaluation of case law developments and major disputes since 2007, including analysis of the WTO and the financial crisis - in particular the trade policy responses of WTO Members and institutional response reflection on recent shifts to mega-regional agreements (TPP, TISA, TTIP) and their implications what next post Bali? Fully updated throughout, this book continues to be essential reading for students of international trade, international political economy, commercial law and international organizations as well as activists and others interested in a balanced account of a key global institution.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the most important international organizations in existence today. It contains a set of disciplines that affect the ability of governments to impose trade restrictions, and has helped to support the steady expansion of international trade since the 1950s. The WTO has been the focus of vociferous protests by anti-globalization activists and has experienced great difficulties in agreeing to new trade rules since its establishment. At the same time it has become the premier global forum for the settlement of trade disputes and has proven to provide a robust framework for international cooperation in the trade area. This book separates the facts from the propaganda and provides an accessible overview of the WTO's history, structure and policies as well as a discussion of the future of the organization. It also confronts the criticisms of the WTO and assesses their validity. New to the second edition: discussion of legislative amendments to the WTO Agreement, in particular Aid for Trade, the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and the Bali Package evaluation of case law developments and major disputes since 2007, including analysis of the WTO and the financial crisis - in particular the trade policy responses of WTO Members and institutional response reflection on recent shifts to mega-regional agreements (TPP, TISA, TTIP) and their implications what next post Bali? Fully updated throughout, this book continues to be essential reading for students of international trade, international political economy, commercial law and international organizations as well as activists and others interested in a balanced account of a key global institution.

Despite troubled trade negotiations, global trade and trade policy will thrive in the twenty-first century, but with a bow to the past. Is the multilateral trading order of the twentieth century a historical artifact? Was the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995 the high point of multilateral cooperation on trade? This new volume, edited by Bernard M. Hoekman and Ernesto Zedillo, assesses the relevance of the WTO in the context of the rise of China and the United States' turn toward unilateral protectionism. The contributors adopt a historical perspective to discuss changes in global trade policy trends, adducing lessons from the past to help understand current trade tensions. Topics include responses to U.S. protectionism under the Trump administration, the policy dimensions of trade in services and the rise of the digital economy, how to strengthen the WTO to better negotiate new rules of the game and adjudicate disputes, managing China's integration into the global trade system, and the implications of global value chains for economic development policies. By reflecting on past episodes of protectionism and how they were resolved, Trade in the 21st Century provides both context and guidance on how trade challenges can be addressed in the coming decades.

Despite numerous attempts in the second half of the 20th century, Arab states have not been successful in forming a regional economic bloc. Trade among the Arab states continues to be hampered by high tariffs and customs and transportation bottlenecks. Integration efforts are largely limited to attempts at reducing trade barriers in goods and have not extended to the service sector. While labour mobility is somewhat evident, capital mobility within the region remains limited. The ongoing liberalization of trade in goods through the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, scheduled for complete implementation in 2007, brings renewed interest to a longstanding goal. regional integration. The contributors focus on three issues: the failure of past attempts at integration, the impact on countries involved in any future integration and the possible lessons from other regional experiences, particularly the European Union. A common theme is the importance of extending the reach of cooperation efforts beyond trade in goods.

The Political Economy of the World Trading System is a comprehensive textbook account of the economics, institutional mechanics and politics of the world trading system. This third edition has been expanded and updated to cover developments in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since its formation, including the Doha Round, presenting the essentials of trade negotiations and the WTO's rules and disciplines.
The authors focus in particular on the WTO's role as the primary organisation through which trading nations manage their commercial interactions and the focal point for cooperation on policy responses to the rapidly changing global trading environment. It is the forum in which many features of the globalisation process are considered, and it currently faces an unprecedented set of challenges. The increasing importance of countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa in international trade relations, the revealed preference towards regionalism, intensification of trade conflicts, the role of business groups and NGOs in trade policy formation and negotiations, and pressures for more leadership in an institution threatened by paralysis are examples of issues that are discussed in some detail; all are critical for the operation of the system and for international business in the coming decade. This edition also includes numerous real-world examples to illustrate how the WTO impinges on business, workers and households, written from the perspective of managers and business associations.
An insider's view of the institutional history of the WTO allows the authors to use a variety of conceptual tools to analyse the working of the WTO in a non-technical manner. Suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each chapter and an extensive bibliography make the volume suitable both for introductory and postgraduate courses on international economics and business, international relations, and international economic law.