The Genesis of the GATT

The American Law Institute Reporters Studies on WTO Law

by Douglas A. Irwin, Petros C. Mavroidis, Alan O. Sykes

This book is part of a wider project on the economic logic behind the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). This volume What does the historical record indicate about the aims and objectives of the framers of the GATT? Where did the provisions of the GATT come from and how did they evolve through various international meetings and drafts? To what extent does the historical record provide support for one or more of the economic rationales for the GATT? This book examines the motivations and contributions of the two main framers of the GATT, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the smaller role of other countries. The framers desired a commercial agreement on trade practices as well as negotiated reductions in trade barriers. Both were sought as a way to expand international trade to promote world prosperity, restrict the use of discriminatory policies to reduce conflict over trade, and thereby establish economic foundations for maintaining world peace.

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2008

About the author

Douglas A. Irwin

An economic historian, he is the John French Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, one of the eight Ivy League universities in the United States, and a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He previously taught at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and served as an economist for the Federal Reserve and the President's Council of Economic Advisers. He has published seven books on U.S. economics and trade policy, making him a leading authority in the field. He is also a frequent contributor to The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Financial Times.