International Trade and Investment Law: Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Governance

Abstract

This timely book examines international trade and investment law at various levels of governance, including unilateral, bilateral, regional, and multilateral arrangements. The author demonstrates that the nature of international trade law is fragmented and cyclical. Whilst not always straightforward, the process of making international trade law more multilateral, beginning with the GATT in 1947, has been largely successful. Dr. Rafael Leal-Arcas shows how this success could be emulated for international investment law, as well as providing a careful analysis of the choice of jurisdiction — regional versus global — for the settlement of disputes.

Keywords: international trade, international investment law, regionalism, multilateralism, bilateralism

JEL Classification: F02, F12, F13, F15, K33