IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/worlde/v47y2024i6p2741-2759.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Steel, security and the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism: A trade catastrophe in the making

Author

Listed:
  • Kenneth A. Reinert

Abstract

The World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Dispute Settlement Mechanism has been rendered ineffective by the refusal of the United States to allow appointments to its Appellate Body. The implicit reason for this poor state of affairs is the desire of the United States to protect its steel sector under the WTO's national security exception. The arguments made by the United States in this regard are mostly spurious and reflect its status as a current bad faith actor within the WTO. The posture of the United States is undermining both the effectiveness and legitimacy of this important trade institution. This article examines both the events leading up to this situation, the commercial interests behind them, and their legitimacy under WTO law.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth A. Reinert, 2024. "Steel, security and the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism: A trade catastrophe in the making," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 2741-2759, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:47:y:2024:i:6:p:2741-2759
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.13556
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13556
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/twec.13556?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bown, Chad P. & Keynes, Soumaya, 2020. "Why Trump shot the Sheriffs: The end of WTO dispute settlement 1.0," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 799-819.
    2. Chad Bown, 2013. "How Different Are Safeguards from Antidumping? Evidence from US Trade Policies Toward Steel," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 42(4), pages 449-481, June.
    3. Matsushita, Mitsuo & Schoenbaum, Thomas J. & Mavroidis, Petros C., 2006. "The World Trade Organization: Law, Practice, and Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199284566.
    4. Lee, Yong-Shik, 2019. "Three Wrongs Do Not Make a Right: The Conundrum of the US Steel and Aluminum Tariffs," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(3), pages 481-501, July.
    5. Yeager, Mary A., 1980. "Trade Protection as an International Commodity: The Case of Steel," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(1), pages 33-42, March.
    6. Bernard M. Hoekman & Petros C. Mavroidis, 2020. "To AB or Not to AB? Dispute Settlement in WTO Reform," RSCAS Working Papers 2020/34, European University Institute.
    7. Bernard M. Hoekman & Petros C. Mavroidis & Douglas R. Nelson, 2023. "Geopolitical competition, globalisation and WTO reform," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(5), pages 1163-1188, May.
    8. Matsushita, Mitsuo & Schoenbaum, Thomas J. & Mavroidis, Petros C., 2006. "The World Trade Organization: Law, Practice, and Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199208005.
    9. Unknown, 2005. "Inside Front Cover," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 34(2), pages 1-1, October.
    10. Nelson, Douglas, 1989. "Domestic Political Preconditions of US Trade Policy: Liberal Structure and Protectionist Dynamics," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(1), pages 83-108, January.
    11. Unknown, 2005. "Inside Front Cover," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 34(01), pages 1-1, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julián Tole Martínez, 2019. "Colombia entre los TLC y la OMC: ¿liberación o administración del comercio internacional?," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1139, February.
    2. Julián Tole Martínez, 2019. "Colombia entre los TLC y la OMC: ¿liberación o administración del comercio internacional?," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1130, February.
    3. Matthew Littleton, 2009. "The TRIPS Agreement and transfer of climate‐change‐related technologies to developing countries," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 33(3), pages 233-244, August.
    4. Stephen, Matthew D. & Parízek, Michal, 2019. "New Powers and the Distribution of Preferences in Global Trade Governance: From Deadlock and Drift to Fragmentation," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 24(6), pages 735-758.
    5. Simo Regis Y., 2013. "Integrating African Markets into the Global Exchange of Services: A Central African Perspective," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 6(2), pages 255-297, September.
    6. Steve Charnovitz, 2014. "Green Subsidies and the WTO," RSCAS Working Papers 2014/93, European University Institute.
    7. Timo Gerres & Manuel Haussner & Karsten Neuhoff & Alice Pirlot, 2019. "Can Governments Ban Materials with Large Carbon Footprint? Legal and Administrative Assessment of Product Carbon Requirements," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1834, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    8. Lee Yong-Shik, 2009. "Theoretical Basis and Regulatory Framework for Microtrade: Combining Volunteerism with International Trade towards Poverty Elimination," The Law and Development Review, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 367-399, December.
    9. Sherzod Shadikhodjaev, 1970. "National Treatment on Internal Taxation : Revisiting GATT Article III :2," Trade Working Papers 21941, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    10. Stephan Wittig, 2021. "Transatlantic Trade Dispute: Solution for Airbus-Boeing Under Biden?," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 56(1), pages 23-31, January.
    11. Obijiofor Aginam & John Harrington, 2013. "Introduction," Chapters, in: Obijiofor Aginam & John Harrington & Peter K. Yu (ed.), The Global Governance of HIV/AIDS, chapter 1, pages 1-13, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Charnovitz, Steve, 2014. "Green subsidies and the WTO," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7060, The World Bank.
    13. Pärn-Lee Evelin, 2020. "The Origins of Supranational State Aid Legislations: What Policymakers Must Know and Adhere to. The Case of Estonia," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 10(1), pages 123-145, June.
    14. Dong-Hoon Kim & Bong-Chul Kim, 2008. "Safeguard measures in RTAs and Proposals for the KCJ FTA," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 11(1), pages 53-94, March.
    15. Sehnálek, David; Tomášková,Eva, 2010. "Legal and Economic Analysis of the Czech Export Policy," Annals - Juridical Science Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Juridical Sciences, vol. 2, pages 111-124, July.
    16. Éric Millard, 2016. "Teoría General Del Derecho," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 833, February.
    17. Mario Matus Baeza & Mark Unger, 2016. "Derecho De La Organización Mundial Del Comercio (Omc)," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 834, February.
    18. Ceva, Emanuela & Fracasso, Andrea, 2010. "Seeking mutual understanding: a discourse-theoretical analysis of the WTO Dispute Settlement System," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 457-485, July.
    19. Chang Hwan Choi & Jae-Woo Kim, 2014. "Determinants for Macroeconomic Factors of Antidumping: A Comparative Analysis of India and China," The International Trade Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 229-245, March.
    20. Spagnuolo, Francesca, 2011. "Diversity and pluralism in earth system governance: Contemplating the role for global administrative law," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1875-1881, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:47:y:2024:i:6:p:2741-2759. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0378-5920 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.