Publisher's Synopsis
It has been claimed that the existence of regional trading arrangements poses a significant threat to the future of the multilateral trading system. This book examines this claim through an examination of three groups of regional trading arrangements: the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Each part begins with a brief historical outline of the history of regionalism in the area. This is followed by detailed discussion of two regional arrangements within the area: for example, in the case of the Americas, NAFTA and MERCOSOUR. Two final chapters detail the expansion of the regional arrangements and question the consistency of such arrangements with the multilateral discipline imposed by Article XXIV of GATT.;In conclusion, the book examines the changes, if any, which may be considered necessary to ensure the absence of conflict between regional trading organizations and the provisions of Article XXIV.
