Advanced International Trade Law
Full course description
This in-depth course deals with advanced topics of international trade law of particular relevance for students who wish to pursue a career in this field – as an academic, practitioner, in-house counsel, or lawyer working in governments, international organizations, or NGOs.
Building upon the basic knowledge of the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO) acquired in the course 'International Trade Law' (ITL), this advanced course explores the challenging topics that are at the core of current trade law and policy. The course takes place during a fascinating and challenging period for international trade – necessitating a thorough and critical understanding of international trade law and policy. A paradigm shift is emerging toward making trade more sustainable. Against this background, the course addresses the following themes:
- Trade and sustainability (on the interface between trade and sustainability concerns, and between WTO law and international environmental law);
- Advanced issues of WTO dispute settlement (on the crisis of WTO dispute settlement and the future prospects)
- WTO rules on technical barriers to trade (on WTO rules governing technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures);
- WTO rules on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (on WTO rules governing national food-safety measures and measures to protect against health risks from pests or diseases);
- WTO rules on subsidies (on the WTO rules that govern subsidies on industrial goods, agricultural goods, and fisheries); and
- WTO rules on trade remedies (on the WTO rules governing the permissible responses to subsidisation and dumping as forms of unfair trade; and to increased imports in fair trade situations).
The course is built around a number of true-to-life international trade problems that form the basis for tutorial discussion tasks and assignments.
Teaching methods
Lectures, Tutorial discussions, Assignments and Discussion Tasks
Assessment methods
Written assignments and Written exam
Course objectives
-
The student acquires up-to-date knowledge of the current challenges facing the WTO;
- The student understands and is able to engage in discussion on advanced legal issues relating to the WTO;
- The student can critically assess the relationship between WTO obligations and the protection of other (non-)economic values and interests, particularly sustainable development;
- The student can identify international trade law issues arising from true-to-life case studies dealing with the topics covered in this course and apply the legal framework to these problems;
- The student is able to form a reasoned legal opinion evaluating true-to-life international trade problems;
- The student is able to write well-motivated legal opinions analysing international trade problems and to present these orally in class.
Prerequisites
None
Recommended prior knowledge
Prior knowledge of the core institutional and substantive rules of WTO law, as covered in the course International Trade Law IER4002, is strongly recommended.
Recommended reading
- The textbook used in this course is VAN DEN BOSSCHE, P. and ZDOUC, W., The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization, 5th Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2021) (available as e-book via the university library).
- It is convenient for students to have a copy of The WTO Agreements: The Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization and its Annexes (Cambridge University Press, 2017). However, students can also find the relevant WTO legal texts on the WTO website (www.wto.org) and may use the digital version of these texts.
- Finally, additional mandatory reading will be provided on Canvas, where appropriate.