Introduction

Summary

This volume contains eight reports on the World Trade Organization (WTO) case law of 2008, written in the context of the American Law Institute (ALI) project Principles of World Trade Law: The World Trade Organization (WTO). The project seeks to provide systematic analyses of WTO law based on both economics and law. Each report is written jointly by an economist and a lawyer, and each discusses a different WTO dispute. The authors are free to choose the particular aspects of the dispute they wish to discuss. The aim is to determine for each dispute whether the Appellate Body's (or occasionally the Panel's) decision seems desirable from an economic and a legal point of view, and, if not, whether the problem lies in the interpretation of the law or the text itself.

Earlier versions of the papers were presented at a meeting in Geneva in June 2009, and we are very grateful for the comments provided by the discussants Kamal Saggi, Joost Pauwelyn, Frieder Roessler, and Marco Bronckers. We would also like to thank the other meeting participants for providing many helpful comments, and the WTO for providing a venue for the meeting.

It deserves emphasis that the existence of the project is due to the efforts and commitment of Professor Lance Liebman, Director of the ALI. We have also benefited greatly from the support of ALI President Emeritus Michael Traynor and ALI Deputy Director Elena Cappella.