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Course Application

Law of the World Trade Organization

Professor David Collins

Call for more information 495-649-2273

Students will examine import and export regimes and policies, including most favored nation and national treatment principles, WTO and GATT rules restraining national trade restrictions, such as tariff and non-tariff barriers, anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard measures, trade in intellectual property (TRIPS) and trade related investment measures (TRIMS). The course will cover the WTO dispute resolution process and will examine actual trade disputes that are making their way through dispute resolution channels.  To the extent time allows the class will also examine the process of WTO accession, social and economic issues related to globalization, and Russia's future WTO membership.

Methodology: Seminars will consist of an hour-long lecture followed by a two-hour discussion.

Grading:  Exam and grading procedures will be announced later.  No more than three absences are allowed to pass the class unless special arrangements to make up the work are made with the professor in advance.  Excessive lateness will count as an absence.  The course is worth 3 credits in Pericles’ LL.M. program.   

Textbook:

Peter Van den Bossche The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization: Text Cases and Materials 2nd ed (Cambridge University Press, 2008) [VDB], (also available in Russian: ISBN # ISBN 978-9967-26-360-4)

WTO agreements and disputes (and summaries of disputes) can be found on the WTO website www.wto.org

Journal articles are available on-line on Westlaw, Hein On-Line or ssrn.com.

Other Useful Textbooks:

Simon Lester & Bryan Mercurio, World Trade Law: Texts, Materials & Commentary (Hart Publishing, 2008)

Michael J Trebilcock, Understanding Trade Law (Edward Elgar, 2011)

Course Outline:

Seminars will consist of an hour-long lecture followed by a two-hour discussion.

Please contact Pericles office for more detailed syllabus.

Schedule of Classes & Readings
Additional readings will be announced later

Class 1

Introduction to the WTO: History and Rationale for International Trade Liberalization

VDB Chs 1-2

Class 2

Tariffs and National Treatment

VDB Chs 3-4

Class 3

Most Favored Nation and Regional Trade Agreements

VDB Chs 3-4

Class 4

Dispute Settlement

VDB Ch 2

Class 5

Subsidies and Countervailing Measures

VDB Ch 6

Class 6

Anti-Dumping

VDB Ch 7

Class 7

General Exceptions and Safeguards

VDB Ch 7

Class 8

Trade in Services

VDB Ch 4, Ch 7

Class 9

Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights

VDB Ch 8

Class 10

Trade Policy and Domestic Health and Safety

VDB Ch 8

Class 11

Trade and Investment

VDB Ch 8

Class 12

Trade Policy and Developing Countries

VDB Ch 7