The main idea of this paper is that the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone should proactively align with international high - standard investment facilitation rules (especially the WTO Agreement on Investment Facilitation, the Comprehensive and…
Recent research on international trade suggests that economic development and growth occur as countries gain knowledge and learn to produce and export more sophisticated products. This study examines the effect of trade facilitation on economic…
This paper examines the impact of trade facilitation factors on trade flows, with a particular focus on Global Value Chains (GVCs) in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Using the structural gravity model of international and intra-national…
This chapter provides an overview of the growing influence of both labour standards and gender equality concerns in contemporary trade debates, and in particular how existing FTAs have increasingly accommodated both types of issues. In the following…
In recent years, more and more countries have included different kinds of gender considerations in their trade agreements. Yet many countries have still not signed their very first agreement with a gender equality-related provision. Though most of…
The increasing trend of the inclusion of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment concerns in the negotiation of trade agreements creates a need to strengthen informed dialogue between the public and private sectors. Trade negotiators are…
The distributional outcomes of trade agreements have historically been uneven, creating both “losers” as well as “winners” and benefitting certain stakeholders while leaving others without benefits or even with negative repercussions. In particular…
Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) have evolved from being primarily concerned with trade issues to addressing non-trade issues. Apart from focusing on issues like trade in goods, services, and intellectual property-related issues, modern PTAs,…
Labor rights and working conditions may be affected if international trade and investment agreements are concluded between contracting parties. Some assert that these agreements advance states’ labor conditions because boosting economic activities…