The course introduces students to the fundamental principles of international trade law. The primary goal of the course is to acquaint and familiarise students with the main pillars in this arena of international law and their effect on domestic law and policy.  The course covers the key agreements and principles of international trade law and the jurisdiction, policies and processes of the WTO. It also encompasses major critical analyses of international trade law together with an in-depth review of relevant GATT/WTO panel and appellate body decisions.

Themes that will be addressed throughout the course will include the origins of international trade law, fundamental principles of the GATT/WTO regime, Services (GATS), the WTO Dumping and Subsidies regimes and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement.  The effects of trade liberalisation in general on developing countries will also be the subject of review together with an analysis of the on-going conflict between the basic dictates of international trade agreements on the one hand and the need to enshrine and protect international environmental and labour standards on the other.

At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:

• understand the theoretical basis of trade law as free trade theory and the attacks that have been made on free trade theory
• understand the development in the last century of international institutions governing trade
• understand the laws and policies of the WTO
• develop problem solving skills in trade law
• understand the relationship between trade, development, the environment and human rights.

Information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available on the course home page by the first week of semester.

Throughout the course there will be three hours of teaching per week.  This will generally involve a two hour lecture and a one hour seminar (sometimes the seminars will be "skills sessions").  Students are generally expected to devote approximately 10 hours overall per week to this course.

It is not required that students have a background in economics, although some knowledge of economics will be helpful.

International Law LAWS2250.
Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level.

Information about prescribed texts will be made available in the course outline. 

The preliminary reading required for this course will be available from the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.

A reading guide will be available on the course web page.

This course has close links with International Law in that it investigates a particular area of international law.