Author Description

This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of the likely effects of the Uruguay Round agreements and the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the dynamic economies of East Asia. The rapid development of these countries owes much to the strong export performance and unilateral deregulation of their economies in recent years. Their major stake in maintaining the integrity of the global trading system was demonstrated by their active participation in the negotiations. The impact of the Uruguay Round liberalisation on East Asian economic development and policies is evaluated, using sophisticated CGE models to estimate the effects on trade and income. The strengthening of trade rules and dispute settlement procedures are examined by leading world trade experts. They establish that some gaps and weaknesses in the multilateral trading system remain to be tackled (anti-dumping, regional discrimination) and that some new problems are pending (competition policy, investment). Readily accessible to a wide audience, this book will be of great interest to political economists, policy makers and international trade experts.