This is followed by a focus on a wide range of WTO-specific economic issues and debates, including: • state trading and state aids• regional integration• agriculture, including the EU–US banana dispute• international investment• patents • financial services.

Contents: 1 Introduction: the GATT Uruguay Round, trade liberalization and the WTO Chris Milner and Robert Read PART I TRADE LIBERALIZATION 2 Multilateral market access negotiations in goods and services Sam Laird 3 Agricultural trade reform after the Asian recession: a bridge too far? Rod Tyers and Yongzheng Yang 4 The implications of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) for the banking sector in the Gulf Region Victor Murinde and Cillian Ryan 5 Options for regional integration in Southern Africa David Evans PART II COMPETITION 6 Trade and competition in the new WTO Round Peter Holmes 7 New rules for international investment: the case for a multilateral agreement on investment (MAI) at the WTO Alan M. Rugman 8 Trade liberalization and state aid in the European Union David Collie 9 State trading, agriculture and the WTO Steve McCorriston and Donald MacLaren PART III THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 10 The WTO agenda and the developing countries Sam Laird 11 The EU–US WTO banana dispute and the evolution of the EU banana trade regime Robert Read 12 The influence of the WTO on patenting activities in China Derek Bosworth and Deli Yang Index