Will International Rules on Subsidies Disrupt the World Trading System?

摘要

International disputes over subsidies have become a prominent feature of the world trading system. The creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was nearly prevented by disputes in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations over the issue of negotiating disciplines on agricultural subsidies, an issue which continues to plague the ongoing Doha Round of WTO negotiations. And ongoing disputes over subsidies that violate existing WTO rules have led to the largest amount of authorized retaliation in GATT/WTO history. Yet despite their evident importance, the international rules that govern subsidies have received little formal attention.