The growth of international trade has given rise to a complex and ever-increasing primary law, including international treaties and agreements, domestic legislation and jurisprudence on the settlement of trade disputes. This research guide focuses primarily on the multilateral trading system managed by the World Trade Organization. It also contains information on regional and bilateral trade agreements, particularly those to which the United States is a party. 3. This Convention shall not affect the rights of Members under other international instruments, including the right to have recourse to the good offices or dispute settlement mechanisms of other international organizations established under an international agreement. A dispute arises when a member government believes that another member government is in breach of a WTO agreement. The complaining member must file a “request for consultation” indicating the agreements that he or she believes to be violated. A dispute can and often is subject to more than one agreement. The list below shows the agreements mentioned in the consultation request. WRLC is the Washington Research Library consortium, which consists of about 13 local libraries (we have a rapid loan agreement between this group of institutions). Look for your greatest reach here. In the list below, click an agreement to view the relevant disputes. The Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures is a complex agreement under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and deals with the interaction between state measures with regard to risks to human, animal and plant life or health, the scientific evidence needed to support such measures and the uncertainty inherent in scientific studies.
As such, it is at the forefront of a broader debate that animates international trade law, that is, the distinction between protectionist measures and those that stem from a genuine concern for the protection of human plant, animal or health life. (d) the accession and participation of the Member or competent bodies in its territory in international and regional sanitary and phytosanitary organizations and systems and systems, as well as in bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements falling within the scope of this Convention and in the text of such agreements and arrangements. Some of the most frequently cited agreements are listed below, with corresponding citations: the texts of other agreements are available on the WTO Legal Texts website. In addition, the following resources may be useful: in the text: (WTO | Sanitary and phytosanitary measures – Text of the agreement, 2015) 2. Where significant investments are required to enable a developing exporting Member to meet the sanitary or phytosanitary requirements of an importing Member, the importing Member shall consider providing technical assistance to enable the developing country to maintain and expand its market access opportunities for the product concerned. Text in: (WTO | WTO Analytical Index: WTO Guide Law and Practice – Understandingingon Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, 2015) 3. International standards, guidelines and recommendations In the text: (WTO | Legal texts – Marrakesh Convention, 2015, (c) international standards, guidelines and recommendations developed under the auspices of the secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, in cooperation with regional organizations active under the International Plant Protection Convention; and (d) impose a reasonable period of time on other members, without discrimination, to make written comments, to discuss such comments upon request and to take into account the comments and results of the discussions. . . .
