The multilateral trade agreements in the Annexes to the Agreement Establishing

the World Trade Organization provide a comprehensive structure for international

trade. Why would trading partners in different countries feel the need to

go outside this framework in order to set up preferential trade arrangements?

This book considers the structure of the World Trade Organization’s agreements

and the types of preferential trade arrangements, and deliberates the value of the

latter in the light of the operation of the former.

Preferential Trade Agreements and International Law offers a comprehensive

examination of preferential trade agreements and considers the features of specific

regional and bilateral trade agreements without drawing upon systematic

features and trends. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will

be of value to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students interested in

international trade and economic law.