Challenges to the Multilateral Trading System: World Trade Organization, Generalized System of Preferences, and Regional Trade Agreements

This dissertation investigates the efficiency of trade liberalization in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/World Trade Organization (WTO) framework. The book analyzes the relationship between GATT/WTO and related international institutions, such as the Generalized System of Preferences and regional trade agreements. While the analyses are also based on theoretical models, the workhorse of the study is the well-known gravity model framework, in conjunction with vector auto-regressive analysis. The various analyses highlight the role of GATT/WTO as an important player in global trade: a) GATT/WTO has a substantial promoting effect on international trade; b) trade promotion of developing countries should best be served by GATT/WTO, rather than by preferential schemes under the Generalized System of Preferences; and c) GATT/WTO is not undermined by the proliferation of regional trade agreements - rather regional trade agreements stimulate multilateral trade liberalization under GATT/WTO. Dissertation.