International Trade Agreements and Their Relation to Core Labor Standards

Should Core Labor Standards Be Imposed Through International Trade Policy?

Numerous proposals have surfaced recently to incorporate a labor-standards clause into the rules of the World Trading Organization (WTO). Such a clause would require recognition and enforcement by each WTO member of certain core labor standards (CLS): freedom from forced labor, absence of discrimination, elimination of exploitative use of child workers, and rights of workers to associate freely...

Trade AND Labor Standards

International Labor Standards: From Theory to Policy

This paper reexamines the theoretical literature on international labor standards, providing an overview of its main analytical arguments. Among the situations in which a case for labor standards may arise are imperfections in labor markets, market power effects in international trade, and concerns that consumers may have about the working conditions or rights that workers enjoy. The paper emph...

Trade Agreements and Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceuticals

There is growing international concern about the risks posed by direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription pharmaceuticals, including via the internet. Recent trade agreements negotiated by the United States, however, incorporate provisions that may constrain national regulation of DTCA. Some provisions explicitly mention DTCA; others enable foreign investors to seek compensation if ...

Issues of Fairness in International Trade Agreements

In this paper, we first describe the characteristics of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that are the basis of the framework of the multilateral trading system. We then provide an overview of concepts of fairness in trade agreements. Thereafter, we offer a critique of the efficiency criterion in assessing multilateral trade agreements, taking issue with T.N. Srinivasan’s (2006) analysis and t...