International Trade Relations

This book examines the need for greater legal coherence within international trade negotiations between the European Union (EU) and external trade relations. An introspective analysis of EU trade law and policy is presented that highlights the complex issue of EU unity. A particular focus is given to the Doha Round and the General Agreement on Trade in Services, with empirical analysis placing the negotiations not just within the context of international trade law, but also within broader social and political contexts.

This book examines the political connections and trade relations between Italy and China, with particular emphasis on the second half of the 19th century and the period following the Second World War. In recent years, economic relations between the two countries have intensified as a result of increasing exchange and trade agreements, with positive impacts on their political and diplomatic relations.

This book focuses on EU-MERCOSUR relations from a diplomatic and trade perspective against the background of the political agreement between the two in 2019. The authors take into consideration that EU-MERCOSUR cooperation developed during recent decades has tried, on the one hand, to build a strategic partnership to respond to the main challenges of international agendas and, on the other, to incorporate in Latin American countries the European new vision of transatlantic regionalism. Starting from a historical perspective of the development of interregionalism between the EU and MERCOSUR, the book goes on to study the geopolitical impacts of Brexit, stagnation of the EU-USA relationship, the COVID-19 pandemic, and of new geopolitical players in EU-LAC interregionalism. It discusses the legal institutional framework of the EU-MERCOSUR relations and provides a comparative view of features of MERCOSUR countries vis-à-vis the European Union.

Preferential trading arrangements (PTAs) play an increasingly prominent role in the global political economy, two notable examples being the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The European Union (‘EU’) is promoting a suite of innovations in international economic regulation—among them, reforms for secure and sustainable investment, a comprehensive approach to the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, a viable carbon border adjustment mechanism, heightened intellectual property rights protection, the arm’s length principle in taxation, and an increased commitment to non-economic vales. Through a critical analysis of key regulations and policies, this volume explores the evolving architectures of international economic agreements in light of EU practice. A comprehensive analysis indicates that novelties are rooted in geoeconomic considerations, through which a fundamental shift is underway towards the adoption of comprehensive bilateral trade agreements. Whilst innovation has the potential to significantly harmonise cross-border regulatory frameworks, it can also trigger significant fractures, particularly when applied restrictively and asymmetrically. Arguably, the ‘Brussels effect’ will to a certain extent foster a progressive development of international economic regulation, while in some respects being constrained by the status quo of the international economic regime.

This book seeks to illuminate what China's Belt and Road initiative truly means for the global south, offering historical context and explaining the vision that the Chinese State has in coordinating actions in the territorial, political and economic spheres in a multilateral pretension. How does the BRI generate economic returns for China, and what are the political and economic impacts of the BRI? In this provocative and deeply researched new work, the authors provide a new framework for understanding the BRI, one which will be useful to scholars, policymakers and economists.