International Trade Law
Future Offerings
International Trade Law (5014): The international trading system is going through a tempestuous period, largely due to U.S. policies that disregard many pre-existing international legal commitments. The economic rise of China, with its extensive industrial policies and numerous state-owned enterprises, has also posed substantial challenges for the trading system. This course will survey current developments in national and international trade law. Part of the course will focus on U.S. domestic law and trade practice, including the separation of powers between the Congress and the President relating to trade, recent tariff wars, U.S. law regarding "unfair" trade practices such as dumping and foreign subsidization, and trade measures taken for "national security" reasons. The remainder of the course will focus on the law and policy of modern international trade agreements, including the treaty network of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other important bilateral and plurilateral arrangements. Among other things, we will examine the relationship between international and domestic law, international enforcement and dispute settlement, potential tensions between international trade law and domestic regulation, and the challenges of integrating China into international trade agreements that were originally designed to orchestrate cooperation among market economies. We will also discuss the current predicament of the WTO, and the proposals advanced to resolve the crisis of multilateralism. Elements used in grading: Class participation, attendance and final exam.
Sections
Past Offerings
International Trade Law (5014): The international trading system is going through a tempestuous period, largely due to U.S. policies that disregard many pre-existing international legal commitments. The economic rise of China, with its extensive industrial policies and numerous state-owned enterprises, has also posed substantial challenges for the trading system. This course will survey current developments in national and international trade law. Part of the course will focus on U.S. domestic law, including the separation of powers between the Congress and the President relating to trade, recent tariff wars, U.S. law regarding "unfair" trade practices such as dumping and foreign subsidization, and trade measures taken for "national security" reasons. The remainder of the course will focus on the law and policy of modern international trade agreements, including the treaty network of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other important bilateral and plurilateral arrangements. Among other things, we will examine the relationship between international and domestic law, international enforcement and dispute settlement, potential tensions between international trade law and domestic regulation, and the challenges of integrating China into international trade agreements that were originally designed to orchestrate cooperation among market economies. Elements used in grading: Class participation, attendance and final exam.
Sections
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2025-2026 WinterSchedule No Longer Available
International Trade Law (5014): This course will survey the law and policy of modern international trade agreements, with an emphasis on the treaty network of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other important multilateral arrangements, as well as U.S. laws governing "unfair trade practices" such as subsidization and dumping. Topics will include the political economy of the treaty framework, the relationship between international and domestic law, bilateralism versus multilateralism, the current crisis in the WTO dispute resolution system and its origins, and the tensions between international trade law and domestic regulation. Issues of particular current interest will also be addressed, including the current trade row with China, and the imposition of tariffs on national security grounds, and Buy American policies. Elements used in grading: Class participation, attendance and final exam.
Sections
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2024-2025 AutumnSchedule No Longer Available