Critical Analysis: The Trans-Pacific Partnership and its Discontents

President Obama is touting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a 21st Century trade agreement, a model for everything from industrial goods to Internet services. The principal purpose of which, like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is to increase trade and remove restrictions on the flow of goods and capital between member states. So … Read more

Critical Analysis: Welcoming Russia to the WTO

By the end of the summer, Russia will become the newest member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after nearly twenty years of negotiations.  This presents tremendous opportunities for American businesses, exporters, and innovators. Russia is the 7th largest economy in the world and trade between the United States and Russia is far from realizing … Read more

The United States Announces Updated Model Bilateral Investment Treaty

On April 20, 2012, the U.S. Department of State and the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the posting of a revised Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).  The new document, 42 pages in length, updates the 2004 Model BIT.  Additional background materials can be found here and here. A BIT provides binding legal … Read more