WTO Rules on Investment: Futility Manifold
Journal of International Business Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 69-96, 2007
46 Pages Posted: 26 Jan 2008 Last revised: 29 Aug 2008
Date Written: November 15, 2007
Abstract
A prime factor of trade liberalization, investment, eludes a comprehensive coverage in the multilateral rule based regime under the World Trade Organization. The Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures, though one exclusively concentrated on investment, has proved to be insufficient as regards various barriers facing liberalization of cross-border investment flows are concerned. The proposed Multilateral Investment Agreement (MAI) of OECD Group of countries also having failed to come up as planned, the field remains unoccupied even today. It is high time, therefore, that a consensus needs to emerge at the multilateral level as regards basic rules of fair-play and liberalization of host country measures towards foreign investment flows.
The chapterization is as under;
I. Introduction
II. Trade Related Investment Measures: An Insight (A) What are Trade Related Investment Measures? (B) Why TRIMs?: The Underlying Rationale (C) Types of TRIMS (D) Effect of TRIMs
III. Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures (A) Genesis (B) Appraisal of Provisions of the Agreement (C) Salient Features of the Agreement (D) Shortfalls/Defects of the Agreement (E) Disputes Raised under the Agreement and Their Implications
IV. Other provisions of WTO dealing with Investment (A) GATT 1994 (B) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) (C) Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement)
V. Bilateral and Multilateral Investment Treaties and their Relationship with WTO (A) Bilateral Investment Treaties and Their Advantages (B) Multilateral Investment Treaties and Their Advantages (C) OECD's MAI (D) BITs Principles on Investment: Lessons to be learnt
VI. Conclusion
Keywords: WTO, Investment, Trade Agreements
JEL Classification: K11, K33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation