Publisher's Synopsis
Just months after GATT's latest trade accord came into effect, trade diplomats took up one of the "new issues" of the post-Uruguay Round era. International investments are generating $6 trillion in sales and by far exceed the importance of trade as a means of accessing foreign markets. Few international rules exist which govern policies on these investments, and the regulation of multinational companies is one of the avenues still open to protectionism. Defining multilateral rules to liberalize investments has been identified as the "next great boost to the world economy".;This paper examines the interaction between multinational companies and national governments and shows why most regulations that are imposed are either ineffective or unnecessarily costly. It provides investors and administrators with background information on the making of a new investment agreement in an increasingly multipolar world economy.
