international trade law assignment

International Trade Law: A Casebook for a System in Crisis

A free online international trade law casebook written and edited by Professors Henry Gao, Jennifer Hillman, Nicolas Lamp and Joost Pauwelyn

We believe no student, anywhere in the world, should find themselves unable to learn international trade law because textbooks are too expensive.

That’s why the Geneva Trade Platform teamed up with four leading professors to create something brand new: a completely free, comprehensive online casebook.

The casebook is currently in its open beta version, with 17 core chapters ready and the final four chapters to be added soon. However, we believe the book is now sufficiently advanced to prove potentially useful to students and teachers alike. 

Why an Online Book?

• Price: The textbook is free for all users anywhere in the world
• Immediacy: We can update the textbook almost instantly to incorporate the latest developments
• Navigation: Students can find the exact lesson they need at the click of a mouse
• Expandability: We can include far more optional and diverse content than in any paper format
• Media: We can incorporate diverse types of content incluiding videos, podcasts and external links

The book includes 21 ‘Modules’ covering most aspects of international trade law, each broken into individual lessons to aid navigation, teaching and learning.  Modules include narrative explanations, caselaw excerpts, notes, sample questions and problems.

1. International Trade Law from Multiple Perspectives 2. National Regulation of International Trade 3. History and Structure of Trade Agreements and the WTO 4. Settling International Trade Disputes 5. Customs Duties and Other Border Measures 6. National Treatment 7. Most-Favored-Nation Treatment & Preferential Trade Agreements 8. General Exceptions 9. National Security 10. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures & Technical Barriers to Trade 11. Government Procurement* 12. Dumping and Anti-Dumping Duties 13. Subsidies and Countervailing Duties 14. Safeguards 15. Services 16. Intellectual Property 17. E-Commerce and the Digital Economy 18. Trade and Development 19. Trade and the Environment, Climate Change* 20. Trade and Labour* 21. WTO Reform*

* Coming soon

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Beyond Trade Network?

A: The Beyond Trade Network (BTN) is a social network for those with an interest in trade policy, built and maintained by the Geneva Trade Platform .

Q:  Will there ever be any fees, subscriptions, or paywalled content? 

A: No, the online casebook will always be free in its entirety. 

Q: I would like a paper copy of the book, is that possible?

A: Not yet, but we are hoping to release a print-on-demand version of the book by the end of 2023. 

Q: Can I reference the casebook in an academic paper or university assignment? 

A: Yes, you can reference the casebook just as you would any other textbook or article you found online. 

Q: I’m a trade law academic, practitioner or expert, are there ways I could contribute?

A: We are always looking to expand the content with more analysis, critiques and examples from the field. We are also looking for assistance to write the accompanying teaching guide.

If you’re interested in joining the project please write to us at: [email protected]

Q: How do I as a professor give my students access? 

A: You can direct your students to this page and the “Student Access” button above.

You can also send them this direct link:  https://shorturl.at/acfUZ

Finally, you can download the QR code below (to do so right click on it and “Save As”) on a slide or handout and it will take students directly to the registration page for the casebook. 

QR Code for Student Access (To Download, Right Click and “Save As”)

Library electronic resources outage May 29th and 30th

Between 9:00 PM EST on Saturday, May 29th and 9:00 PM EST on Sunday, May 30th users will not be able to access resources through the Law Library’s Catalog, the Law Library’s Database List, the Law Library’s Frequently Used Databases List, or the Law Library’s Research Guides. Users can still access databases that require an individual user account (ex. Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law), or databases listed on the Main Library’s A-Z Database List.

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• Foreign & International Law

International Trade Law Research Guide

Introduction.

• Secondary Sources: Treatises & Books
• Secondary Sources: Journal Articles
• Subscription Databases
• U.S. Government Agency Resources
• Internatioinal and Inter-Governmental Organization Resources
• Non-Governmental Organization Resources
• From GATT to the WTO: An Overview
• Quick Reference Table with Citations
• Texts and Status of the Agreements
• Negotiating Histories
• Commentaries
• Citations to WTO & GATT Agreements
• WTO Schedules & Tariff Information
• WTO Membership & Accession
• WTO Organization & Decision Making
• WTO & GATT Official Documents
• Dispute Settlement Practice & Procedure
• Dispute Status and Dispute-Related Documents
• Panel & Appellate Body Reports; Arbitration Decisions & Awards
• Citations to Dispute Resolution Materials
• Mega-Regional Trade Agreements: CPTPP & T-TIP
• NAFTA and the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0)
• U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (Superseded by NAFTA)
• Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
• Other Research Guides & Update History

Key to Icons

• Georgetown only
• On Bloomberg
• More Info (hover)
• Preeminent Treatise

The growth of international trade has generated a complex and ever-expanding body of primary law , including treaties and international agreements , national legislation , and trade dispute settlement case law .  This research guide focuses primarily on the multilateral trading system administered by the World Trade Organization .  It also includes information about regional and bilateral trade agreements , particularly those to which the U.S. is a party.  

Key Resources for International Trade Research

See the Subscription Databases page of this research guide for more detailed information about the resources that are briefly described below:

• Boderlex - trade-related news, with a particular focus on trade policy in Europe.  
• International Trade Practice Center - U.S. primary law governing international trade, secondary sources, practitioner tools, and news.  
• TradeLawGuide - tools for interpreting WTO agreements & case law.  
• U.S. International Trade Library - U.S. primary law & compiled legislative histories, congressional hearings, and secondary sources.  
• World Trade Online - trade-related news and current awareness.  
• WorldTradeLaw.net - WTO case law summaries & commentary.  
• WTO Analytical Index - interpretation & application of WTO agreements.  

Research Assistance and Help with Related Topics 

If you need assistance with international trade law research, visit the Research Help page of the Georgetown University Law Library's website. Or contact the Law Library's International and Foreign Law Department by phone (202-662-4195) or by email ( [email protected] ).  Georgetown Law Center students may schedule a one-on-one research consultation with a librarian.

For questions about U.S. customs law and tariffs, consult the Law Library's Customs Law (U.S.) research guide.  For questions about non-U.S. customs law and tariffs, consult the Law Library's Customs Law research guide.

For research involving disputes between foreign investors and host states, consult the Law Library's guide to International Investment Law .  For research involving transnational commercial disputes between private parties, consult the Law Library's guide to  International Commercial Arbitration .  

International Trade

Questions? Need Help? Contact the International & Foreign Law Dept.

International & foreign legal research (202) 662-4195 request a research consultation  .

• Next: Secondary Sources: Treatises & Books >>
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• Last Updated: Jul 23, 2024 4:54 PM
• URL: https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/InternationalTradeLaw

International Trade Law : Research Guide

Introduction, introductory resources on international trade.

• Introduction to GATT and WTO
• Founding Documents
• GATT Resources
• Uruguay Round Resources
• WTO Resources
• GATT/WTO Electronic Resources
• Introductory Resources
• Legal Texts
• Dispute Resolution Decisions
• United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
• North American Free Trade Agreement
• Mercado Común del Cono Sur
• Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
• Research Guides

Authorship History

Written by Karin Johnsrud. Updated by Dana Neacșu.

International trade is a complicated area of law to research because there are numerous levels of trade organizations and interactions. There are bilateral trade agreements, regional trade agreements and multinational trade agreements. Each of these agreements has its own history, policies and dispute settlement procedures. Trade organizations established under the agreements have separate resources that can be searched. Furthermore, individual countries have their own policies and laws relating to international trade. As an example, the United States Congress must pass legislation enacting international trade agreements before the United States can officially become a party. The national policies have to be researched individually and frequently separately from the resources relating to the international organizations.

The purpose of this guide is to provide an introduction to a variety of the resources available on campus, as well as from the Internet. General introductory resources will be discussed first. Then the guide will proceed through a discussion of the major multilateral trade agreements, regional trade agreements and United Nations trade bodies.

For additional assistance in finding International Trade Law materials at Columbia's Diamond Law Library, please do not hesitate to contact the reference librarians at [email protected] . Consult the the Guide to Columbia Library Services and Policies Research Guide for general information and reference hours.

To see more background and reference works available at Diamond Law Library, including older editions, please try these searches on Pegasus: 

• Subject: international trade law
• Subject: international trade law AND Any Field: handbook
• Subject: international trade law AND Any Field: manual
• Subject: international trade 
• Subject: international trade AND Any Field: handbook
• Subject: international trade AND Any Field: manual

You can find a selected list of publications below.

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• Last Updated: Sep 9, 2022 5:08 PM
• URL: https://guides.law.columbia.edu/tradelaw

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     ALERT: The shelter in place order has been lifted, but all UVA Library locations will remain closed today, November 14.

International Law Guide

• International Courts and Tribunals
• International Organizations
• Private International Law
• Selected Topics in Public International Law

See also...

Foreign Law Guide

General Guides and Resources for Public International Law

• GlobaLex Research guides to international law (by subject) and foreign law (by jurisdiction) from NYU's Hauser Global Law School Program.

• ASIL Research Guide to Public International Law An up-to-date guide to treaty and other public international law research with an emphasis on online resources. From the American Society of International Law.

Criminal Law

• ASIL Research Guide to International Criminal Law
• Research Guides to the International Criminal Courts for the Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone From GlobaLex.
• Comparative Criminal Procedure: A Selected Bibliography From GlobaLex.
• International Criminal Court Legal Tools Provides access to documents important to international criminal law, including treaties, judgments and decisions, summaries of domestic criminal justice systems in many countries including relevant statutes or codes, and commentary on international criminal law and other aspects of international law.

Environmental Law

• ECOLEX: A Gateway to Environmental Law
• United Nations Environment Programme
• ASIL Research Guide to International Environmental Law
• A Basic Guide to International Environmental Legal Research From GlobaLex.

Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

• UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• OHCHR Jurisprudence Database Contains recommendations and findings from the various UN human rights committees that consider complaints from individuals.
• Refworld UNHCR's comprehensive information source on refugee status includes treaties, legislation and court decisions, as well as information organized by country and topic.
• European Court of Human Rights Pending cases, judgments, basic texts and a complete index to all ECHR judgments.
• Bayefsky.com: The United Nations Human Rights Treaties
• ICRC's Customary International Humanitarian Law Database A free online version of their two-volume publication.
• University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
• Human Rights Library: Collections on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights From the University of Minnesota.
• ESCR-Net Caselaw Database Database of domestic, international, and quasi-judicial cases and decisions on economic, social and cultural rights.
• U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
• Project Diana: An Online Human Rights Case Archive From Yale Law School.
• ASIL Research Guide to International Human Rights
• ASIL Research Guide to International Humanitarian Law
• International Human Rights Research Guide From GlobaLex.
• ICJ E-bulletin on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights International Commission of Jurist's free monthly publication of legal developments in the fields of counter-terrorism and human rights.

Intellectual Property

• WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
• WIPO Lex Collection of intellectual property legislation (in English) from WIPO member countries.
• AIPPI - International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property An international NGO devoted to the "the development and improvement of intellectual property." The Questions/Committees section contains country-by-country reports on specific intellectual property law topics.
• European Patent Office
• U.S. Patent & Trademark Office General information, forms, and a free searchable patent and trademark database.
• U.S. Copyright Office Copyright basics, law, forms, and other materials available through the Library of Congress, the entity responsible for copyrights.
• ASIL Research Guide to International Intellectual Property Law
• IP Precedents Database Database of English translations of precedential domestic court decisions on IP topics; from the Research Center for the Legal System of Intellectual Property.

Law of the Sea

• United Nations: Oceans and Law of the Sea
• International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
• International Seabed Authority
• UVA Center for Oceans Law & Policy
• ASIL Research Guide to Law of the Sea

Trade, Investment or Economic Law

• GATT Documents Online From the WTO.
• GATT Digital Library From Stanford University.
• WorldTradeLaw.net
• International Trade Database: Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods From Pace University.
• Trans-Lex.org Research platform for transnational commercial law from the Center for Transnational Law, Cologne University, Germany.
• SICE - Foreign Trade Information System From the Organization of American States.
• United States International Trade Commission
• United States Trade Representative
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule

• ASIL Research Guide to International Economic Law
• ASIL Research Guide to International Commercial Arbitration
• Research Guide on the Harmonization of International Commercial Law From GlobaLex.

Women's Rights

• Women's Human Rights Resources From the University of Toronto.
• Women's Human Rights Documents From the University of Minnesota.
• Women's Rights Links From the University of Minnesota.
• Last Updated: Jul 12, 2023 10:02 AM
• URL: https://libguides.law.virginia.edu/international
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