This book is part of a wider project that aims to propose a model GATT that makes good economic sense without undoing its current basic structure. It asks: What does the historical record indicate about the aims and objectives of the framers of the GATT? To what extent does the historical record provide support for one or more of the economic rationales for the GATT? The book supports that the two main framers of the GATT were the United Kingdom and the United States; developing countries' influence was noticeable only after the mid-1950s. The framers understood the GATT as a pro-peace instrument; however, they were mindful of the costs of achieving such a far-reaching objective and were not willing to allocate them disproportionately. This may explain why their negotiations were based on reciprocal market access commitments so that the terms of trade were not unevenly distributed or affected through the GATT.
Author(s): Douglas A. Irwin, Petros C. Mavroidis, Alan O. Sykes
Series: The American Law Institute Reporters Studies on WTO Law
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 328
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Executive Summary......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Foreword......Page 15
Introduction......Page 17
1.1 After the First World War......Page 21
1.2 The Atlantic Charter and Article VII Negotiations......Page 28
1.3 The Structure of Anglo-American Negotiations......Page 38
1.4 The 1942 Meade Draft for Commercial Union......Page 43
1.5 The Washington Seminar, September–October 1943......Page 53
1.6 Years of Deadlock and Delay, January 1944–September 1945......Page 59
1.7 The British Loan Negotiations, Washington, September–October 1945......Page 81
1.8 Moving Toward the GATT......Page 88
1.9 First Preparatory Meeting, London, October–November 1946......Page 93
1.10 Toward Geneva, December 1946–April 1947......Page 96
1.11 Second Preparatory Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, April–October 1947......Page 100
1.12 Conclusion......Page 111
2 The Negotiation of the GATT......Page 114
2.1.1 The Mandate......Page 120
2.1.2 Institutional Issues......Page 122
2.1.3 The Output......Page 124
2.1.4 An Assessment......Page 125
2.2.1 The Mandate......Page 127
2.2.2 Institutional Issues......Page 128
2.2.4 An Assessment......Page 129
2.3.1 The Mandate......Page 130
2.3.2 Institutional Issues......Page 131
2.3.3 The Output......Page 132
2.3.4 An Assessment......Page 135
2.4.2 Institutional Issues......Page 136
2.4.3 The Output......Page 137
2.5.2 Institutional Issues......Page 138
2.5.4 An Assessment......Page 139
2.6.1 The Mandate......Page 140
2.6.3 The Output......Page 142
2.6.4 An Assessment......Page 148
London Conference......Page 149
New York Conference......Page 150
London Conference......Page 151
New York Conference......Page 152
Review Session......Page 153
London Conference......Page 154
New York Conference......Page 155
Geneva Conference......Page 157
Review Session......Page 158
Review Session......Page 159
London Conference......Page 160
Havana Conference......Page 161
Havana Conference......Page 162
London Conference......Page 163
Review Session......Page 164
New York Conference......Page 165
Geneva Conference......Page 166
New York Conference......Page 167
Geneva Conference......Page 168
London Conference......Page 169
Review Session......Page 170
Geneva Conference......Page 171
London Conference......Page 172
New York Conference......Page 173
Review Session......Page 174
New York Conference......Page 175
Geneva Conference......Page 176
New York Conference......Page 177
London Conference......Page 178
Review Session......Page 180
Havana Conference......Page 181
Review Session......Page 182
Havana Conference......Page 183
New York Conference......Page 184
New York Conference......Page 185
New York Conference......Page 186
2.8 Property Rights on the GATT......Page 187
3 The Rationales for the GATT......Page 192
3.1 Economic Theory and Trade Agreements......Page 193
3.2 Commitments and Trade Agreements......Page 200
3.3 Foreign Policy Motivations for Trade Agreements......Page 204
3.4 Concluding Assessments......Page 213
Conclusion......Page 217
General Provisions for Inclusion in Trade Agreeements......Page 219
I Our Post-War Commercial Problem......Page 229
II The Contribution of Other Proposed Institutions to the Solution of the Commercial Problem......Page 231
III Outline of a Possible Commercial Union......Page 232
IV The Problem of State Trading......Page 235
V The International Commerce Commission......Page 236
VI The Problem of the Transition......Page 237
SECTION ON COMMERCIAL POLICY......Page 238
II. PREFERENCES......Page 242
III. PROHIBITIONS AND QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS......Page 244
IV. EXPORT TAXES AND RESTRICTIONS......Page 246
V. SUBSIDIES......Page 247
VI. STATE TRADING......Page 248
VII. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL POLICY ORGANIZATION......Page 254
Proposed Multilateral Convention on Commercial Policy......Page 255
Proposals for Expansion of World Trade and Employment......Page 260
Expansion of World Trade and Employment-Analysis of the Proposals......Page 261
I. Release from Restrictions Imposed by Governments......Page 262
II. Release From Restrictions Imposed by Private Combines and Cartels......Page 264
III. Release From Fear of Disorder in the Markets for Primary Commodities......Page 265
IV. Release From Fear of Irregularity in Production and Employment......Page 266
A. NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION......Page 267
C. PROPOSALS CONCERNING AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE ORGANIZATION......Page 268
MEMBERSHIP......Page 269
Section B.. Tariffs and Preferences......Page 270
Section C. Quantitative Trade Restrictions......Page 271
Section D. Subsidies......Page 274
Section F. Exchange Control......Page 275
Section H. Territorial Application of Chapter III......Page 276
Preparations for Preliminary International Meeting on Trade and Employment......Page 277
Objectives of the Preliminary Meeting......Page 278
Preparatory Steps in Advance of the Meeting......Page 280
Procedures for Conducting Negotiations at the Preliminary Meeting......Page 282
Relation Between Preliminary Meeting and Proposed World Conference on Trade and Employment......Page 284
U.S. Delegation Report on First Preparatory Meeting for an International Conference on Trade and Employment......Page 286
(1) The Principal Issues......Page 287
(2) Attitudes of Other Countries......Page 288
(3) Delegation Strategy......Page 289
(5) The Prospects of the Program......Page 291
(a) Tariff Concessions......Page 293
(c) Procedure for Making the General Agreement Effective......Page 295
(d) General Comment......Page 296
1. London Conference......Page 301
2. New York Conference......Page 303
3. The Geneva Conference......Page 304
4. The Havana Conference......Page 307
5. The Review Session......Page 309
6. The Negotiation of Part IV of the GATT......Page 311
Abbreviations of Materials Frequently Referred to......Page 313
Index......Page 323
