Issues of Fairness in International Trade Agreements

Andrew Brown and Robert Stern
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Robert Stern: Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan

No 554, Working Papers from Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan

Abstract: In this paper, we first describe the characteristics of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that are the basis of the framework of the multilateral trading system. We then provide an overview of concepts of fairness in trade agreements. Thereafter, we offer a critique of the efficiency criterion in assessing multilateral trade agreements, taking issue with T.N. Srinivasan’s (2006) analysis and then elaborate on our conception of fairness as reflected in agreements covering market access. We also address considerations of distributive justice, in contrast with Srinivasan’s contention that distributive justice has no role to play in the design and negotiation of multilateral trade agreements. Finally, we question bilateral trade agreements from the standpoint of fairness, drawing on the example of the U.S. bilateral FTA negotiated in 2005 with Central America and the Dominican Republic.

Keywords: Fairness; Equality of Opportunity; Distributive Equity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 F02 F10 F13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 28 pages
Date: 2006
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-int
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mie:wpaper:554

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