FALL 2014
LAW, POLITICS, AND POLICY IN WTO AND US TRADE LAW
SYLLABUS
Credit/
Meetings:
This is a two credit seminar meeting once per week for two hours each over thirteen
weeks.
Readings:
Assigned readings are gathered into a single Reader and total approximately 35-50
pages per week. Materials include excerpts from international agreements and
adjudication, U.S. legislation, scholarly journals, government publications,
newspaper articles, websites and student comments.
Instructors:
Stephen Vaughn
Tim Keeler
Class 1. Background of U.S. and International Trade Law (Sep. 2) TK
Background on the economics and mastery of international trade law. Students will discuss how the economics
of trade fits with the politics.

Comparative Advantage and Trade, basics -http://www.econlib.org/library/Topics/Details/comparativeadvantage.html
http://www.unc.edu/depts/econ/byrns_web/Economicae/Essays/ABS_Comp_Adv.htm

Trade Deficit Review Commission Executive Summaries (Chairman's Preface, Searching for
Common Ground, and Summary of Democratic Commissioners' Views and Recommendations):
http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/tdrc/reports/finalrept-contents.html

John M. Dobson, “Two Centuries of Tariffs: The Background and Emergence of the U.S.
International Trade Commission” 5-44 (Dec. 1976)

Legal Texts (just skim). The WTO Agreements -www.wto.org/English/docs e/legal e/ursum e htm.
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/business/competing-globally

http://www.ustr.gov/ (skim through website links)
Class 2.
World Trade Organization: Structure, Voting, Accession, Built-in Negotiating Agenda,
Transparency and Anti-Globalization Challenges (Sep. 9) SV
1
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“What is the WTO?” -- http://www.wto.org (especially “Understanding the WTO”).

Introduction to “Whose Trade Organization” by Lori Wallach and Patrick Woodall of Public Citizen
(2004) -- http://www.citizen.org/documents/IntroForWeb.pdf.

Former USTR Schwab Op-ed on Russia’s accession to the WTO, December 14, 2011 (free registration
required): http://www ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/80754a44-2645-11e1-9ed300144feabdc0.html#axzz23AU62gRx
Class 3. WTO Dispute Settlement (Sep. 16) TK

Tracing the WTO dispute system from initial stirrings to final compliance (or non-compliance).
“Dispute Settlement in the WTO: An Update and Some Reflections on Soon-To-Retire WTO Adviser”
(2010), Bruce Wilson

“Supplying Compliance: Why and When the U.S. Complies with WTO Rulings,” Rachel Brewster &
Adam Chilton;
http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5837&context=faculty_scholarship

United States – Tax Treatment for “Foreign Sales Corporations,” Second Recourse to Article 21.5 of
the DSU by the European Communities, as an example -- www.wto.org

“The Compliance Problems of the WTO,” Gary Horlick and Judith Coleman, 24 Ariz. J. Full & Cop.
L. 141 (2007) -- http://www.ajicl.org/AJICL2007/Horlick article.pdf

CFR debate: http://www.cfr.org/wto/wto-dispute-settlement-system-fair/p12665
Class 4-5.
Nondiscrimination – MFN, National Treatment (Sep. 24) SV
Is the goal economics? Politics?

GATT 1994: Articles III, XI, XIII, XX

GATS 1994: Articles II, VI, XIV, XVII

Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS): Articles 3, 4, 8

United States – Measures Affecting Alcoholic and Malt Beverages, GATT panel report (June 19, 1992)
– www.wto.org

Korea Beef, WT/DS161/AB/R, paras. 130-187 – www.wto.org

Appellate Body Report, European Communities – Measures Affecting Asbestos and AsbestosContaining Products, WT/DS135/AB/R (Mar. 12, 2001), pp. 31-38 – www.wto.org
Class 6. China: WTO Accession, Emergence in the World Trading System, U.S.-China Trade Disputes
(Oct. 7) TK

Transcript to the Third Presidential Debate (Oct. 22, 2012) -http://www.npr.org/2012/10/22/163436694/transcript-3rd-obama-romney-presidential-debate
2

“Enter the Dragon, Robert Ross, Foreign Policy Magazine (1996) (optional) -http://www.foreignpolicy.com/Ning/archive/archive/104/enterdragon.PDF

“Google Wants U.S. to Weigh WTO Challenge to China Censorship”, Bloomberg Businessweek
(March 2, 2010) -- http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-02/google-wants-u-s-to-weighwto-challenge-to-china-censorship.html

Patent applications continue rising in China: WIPO, Xinhua (Sept. 19, 2009) -http://www.chinaipr.gov.cn/news/chinaworld/548517.shtml

United States -- Certain Measures Affecting Imports of Poultry from China (DS392) (skim, notice
dates of China’s request for consultations and panel) -- www.wto.org

Panel Report, China – Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Measures on Broiler Products from the
United States , WT/DS427/R, (Skim, notice dates in the facts re petition for investigation to China, and
China’s actions)
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/FE_Search/FE_S_S006.aspx?Query=%28@Symbol=%20wt/ds427/
*%29&Language=ENGLISH&Context=FomerScriptedSearch&languageUIChanged=true#
Class 7. Crossing the Border [Sandy Merber to supply] (Oct. 21)
Class 8. Rules on Subsidies/Countervailing Duties and Anti-Dumping Measures (Oct. 28) SV
General Background / Reference Material
 Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures: Articles 1-2, 10-12, 14-16, 23.
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/24-scm.pdf
 Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Antidumping Agreement): Articles 26, 13.
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/19-adp.pdf
 The Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws, U.S. Comm. On Ways and Means, Overview and
Compilation of U.S. Trade Statues part I of II, pp. 102-125, 111th Cong., 2nd Sess. (for general
background only)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CPRT-111WPRT63130/pdf/CPRT-111WPRT63130.pdf
Underlying Policy of Antidumping Laws
 Excerpts from Greg Mastel, Antidumping Laws and the U.S. Economy
 Brink Lindsey, “The U.S. Antidumping Law: Rhetoric versus Reality,” CATO Institute (Aug. 16,
1999) -http://www.cato.org/pubs/tpa/tpa-007.pdf
Currency Manipulation
 Memo. regarding Countervailing Duty Investigation: Certain Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality
Print Graphics Using Sheet–Fed Presses from the People’s Republic of China, New Subsidy
Allegation – Currency (Dep’t Commerce August 30, 2010).
http://democrats.waysandmeans house.gov/media/pdf/111/Camp%20report%20on%20%20Cur
rency.pdf
 Testimony of John Magnus before the House Committee on Ways and Means
http://www.tradewinsllc.net/publi/Testimony%209-10
 James Bacchus, Don't Push the WTO Beyond Its Limits, Wall Street Journal (Mar. 25, 2010).
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703312504575141653709335366 html
 Materials relating to allegations of Japanese currency manipulation
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The Cotton Subsidies Dispute
 Michael Grunwald, Why the U.S. Is Also Giving Brazilians Farm Subsidies, Time (Apr. 9, 2010)
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1978963,00 html
 Office of the United States Trade Representative, United States and Brazil Reach Agreement to End
WTO Cotton Dispute http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/pressreleases/2014/October/United-States-and-Brazil-Reach-Agreement-to-End-WTO-Cotton-Dispute
Retrospective/Prospective AD/CVD System
 Government Accountability Office, Congress and Agencies Should Take Additional Steps to Reduce
Substantial Shortfalls in Duty Collection (GAO-08-391 Mar. 2008)) (pp.36-42)
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08391.pdf
Can WTO Members Cumulate Dumped and Subsidized Imports in their Injury Analysis?
 United States – Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from
India, WT/DS436/R (pp. 108-123), available at
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds436_e.htm
Class 9: Current China Issues (Nov. 4) SV
Simultaneous Application of AD/CVD Measures to NME Economies
 United States - Definitive Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties on Certain Products from China,
WT/DS379/AB/R (Mar. 11, 2011) (pp. 1-8, 199-224)
http://docsonline.wto.org/DDFDocuments/t/WT/DS/379ABR.doc
 GPX Int’l Tire Corp. v. United States, 645 F. Supp. 2d 1231 (Ct. Int’l Trade 2009)
http://www.cit.uscourts.gov/SlipOpinions/Slip_op09/Slip%20Op.%2009-103.pdf
 GPX Int’l Tire Corp. v. United States, Court Nos. 2011-1107, -1108, and -1109 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 19,
2011)
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/11-1107.pdf
 H. R. 4105, To apply the countervailing duty provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 to nonmarket
economy countries, and for other purposes (112th Congress)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr4105ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr4105ih.pdf
 GPX Int’l Tire Corp. v. United States, Court Nos. 2011-1107, -1108, and -1109 (Fed. Cir. May 9,
2012)
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/11-1107-1108-1109%20order.pdf
Treating China as an NME after 2016
 China’s Protocol of Accession to the WTO, WT/L/432, 23 November 2001 (para. 15)
http://docsonline.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/t/WT/L/432.doc
 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947), Second Interpretative Note to Article VI:1
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/gatt47_e.pdf
 Agreement on the implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994
(“Antidumping Agreement”) at Art. 2, ¶¶ 2 & 7
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/19-adp.pdf
 Christian Tietje and Karsten Nowrot, Myth or Reality? China’s Market Economy Status under WTO
Anti-Dumping Law after 2016
http://telc.jura.uni-halle.de/sites/default/files/telc/PolicyPaper34.pdf
Class 10: Preference Programs/FTAs/The May 10, 2007 Deal/TPA (Nov. 11) TK

Congress and Administration Announce New Trade Policy, House Committee on Ways and Means
(May 11, 2007)
4

The Bush Administration and Democrats Reach a Bipartisan Deal on Trade Policy, ASIL Insights,
Vol. 11, Issue 15 (May 31, 2007) -http://www.asil.org/search.cfm?displayPage=378

Initial Backgrounder and Talking Points: Trade “Deal” Announced May 10, 2007, www.citizen.org or
http://www.citizen.org/documents/PostDealinitialtalkingpoints_ltrhd.pdf

“Last U.S. trade agreement - U.S.-Peru FTA, 2007” ProgressiveEconomy, Trade Fact of the Week
(July 6, 2011) -http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=4nsmr4eab&v=001GQYN4Js2CqA8VrHWFuXdS1ki33hxtkuxTw1sFoqVaJcNI0q80d1o9Y5KEa9ZoGNeJTswDzl1OxitgfJKP
ME6UovCkWIniHf6MWtAwWH_rnaYD7jSVE1VQw5IuOXltlz

USTR web page on preference programs: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/tradedevelopment/preference-programs

USTR web page on FTA’s: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements

J.F. Hornbeck and William H. Cooper, “Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of Congress in
Trade Policy,” Congressional Research Service (Aug. 2, 2013) http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33743.pdf
Class 11: TPP/WTO/Looking ahead (Nov. 18) TK
CRS on TPP: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40502.pdf
Ian Fergusson, William Cooper, Remy Jurenas, and Brock Williams, "The Trans-Pacific Partnership
Negotiations and Issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service (Aug. 21, 2013)

Susan Schwab, "After Doha: Why the Negotiations Are Doomed and What We Should Do About It,"
Foreign Affairs (May/June)

[Trade Facilitation – agreement/Breakdown]
Class 12: Services and Investment (Nov. 25) TK

General Agreement on Trade in Services (for reference, not close reading) -http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/26-gats.pdf

CSI paper on International Services Agreement: http://uscsi.org/images/files/pressreleases/Plurilateral%20Memo%20ISA.pdf

William H. Cooper: Trade in Services: The Doha Development Agenda Negotiations
and U.S. Goals (March 2011) (download pdf at following link) -http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CGGMyWWvH7AJ:digitalcommons ilr
.cornell.edu/key_workplace/811/+trade+in+services+cooper&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&clie
nt=safari&source=www.google.com
5

US – Gambling (DS285) (one page summary found at) -http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds285_e.htm

Joost Pauwelyn: WTO Condemnation of U.S. Ban on Internet Gambling Pits Free Trade against Moral
Values (Nov. 2004) -http://www.asil.org/search.cfm?displayPage=473

Bilateral Investment Treaties and Related Agreements, State Department (briefly review model BIT)
http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/ifd/bit/index htm

Report of the Subcommittee on Investment of the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on
International Economic Policy Regarding the Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (Sept. 30, 2009) -http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/rls/othr/2009/131098.htm

CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S) Regulations, Summary (2008)
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/international/foreigninvestment/Documents/Summary-FinalRegs.pdf
Class 13.
Environment, Energy and Trade (Dec. 2) SV
The “climate” for environment and trade issues.
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GATT 1994 Article XX(b), (g) (General Exceptions)
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
United States – Import Prohibition of Certain Shrimp and Shrimp Products, WT/DS58/AB/R (15 May
1998), paras. 1-45, 127-186
Paragraphs six and 31-33 of the 2001 Doha Declaration -http://www.wto.org/english/thewto e/minist e/min01 e/mindecl e.htm#tradeenvironment
“Sarkozy Calls for Carbon Tax on Imports,” FT.com (Sept. 10, 2009) -http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a5fb6084-9e32-11de-b0aa-00144feabdc0 html?nclick check=1
Pauwelyn testimony
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Joost+Pauwelyn+testimonty+house+ways+and+means&src=IESearchBox&Form=IE8SRC
Websites to check:
www insidetrade.com
www.wto.org
www.worldtradelaw net
www.ustr.gov
www nationaljournal.com
www.bna.com for BNA International Trade Reporter
www.ppionline.org
www.tradelawguide.com
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www.carnegieendownment.org
www.aei.org
www.piie.com
www.cfr.org
7