Unnoticed Poison: Regional Trade Agreements Undermining Global Trading System
Regional trade agreements sometimes have commitments that are weaker than what countries agreed to in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). These weaker commitments can cause problems for third-country investors and the overall trading system. Many RTAs don't reference GATS commitments, making them hard to make global. The study looked at how common these weaker commitments are and what sectors they affect. It also discussed potential solutions from a WTO perspective.