Introduction

International trade law is a very complex and an ever expanding area. There are basically four levels of international trade relationships: unilateral measures (national law), bilateral relationships (Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement), plurilateral agreements, and multilateral arrangements (GATT/WTO). The focus of this guide is on international trade generally and on some of the major bilateral or multilateral agreements: NAFTA, GATT/WTO, FTA, and CAFTA. Many of the sources listed throughout this guide will contain information about other trade agreements and arrangements.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Wolff Library reference desk at 202-662-4195 or by email: intlref@law.georgetown.edu. You may also submit your question via this online form.

Selected Background and General Sources

To locate additional materials on international trade law, try keyword searching in the library catalog.

• International Trade and Economic Relations in a Nutshell (3rd edition) INTL REF K3943.F64 2004
  A good introduction to the subject.
• International Trade Practice (2nd edition - updated regularly) INTL K1005.4.I6
• The Law of International Trade (2nd edition) INTL K3943.H68 2002
• Dictionary of International Trade INTL HF1373.R67 1994
• Legal Problems of International Economic Relations INTL REF K3943.A58.J3 2002
  A standard casebook on the subject.
• Corporate Counsel's Guide : Laws of International Trade (updated regularly) Williams KF390.B8 C67 1986

Trade-Related Research Databases

In addition to Lexis and Westlaw, the Library subscribes to a number of other databases. Several of these databases highlighted below are essential to conducting research in international trade law.

Trade-Specific Databases

• International Trade Daily (BNA)
  This database covers information published on a daily basis about U.S. and foreign trade policy, with a focus on topics such as export incentives, financing, licensing, foreign investments, limits on imports, import relief, and adjustment assistance. The content includes news and trends in U.S. trade policy, including regulatory, legislative, and judicial developments; pertinent activities of the International Trade Commission, Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce, World Trade Organization, and European Union; U.S. laws and agency actions likely to have an impact on imports and exports; trade law rulings from courts and administrative agencies; major international treaty negotiations and agreements; trade relationships and arrangements among U.S. trading partners; and international business developments, especially the global shift in regulation of trade in services. Coverage from September 11, 2000. trade and international business policy and the policies of major U.S. trading partners in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia.
• International Trade Reporter (BNA)
  This electronic version of the publication provides "current information on laws, regulations, cases, and policy developments affecting U.S. trade, international business, and major U.S. trading partners, provided in this comprehensive multi part resource." Also available in print in the Wolff Library reference stacks at Call Number KF6656.5 .I58.
• World Trade Online
  Immediate access to the latest in trade news. Each day's complete issue of Inside U.S. Trade, plus retrospective coverage. Also available: News from Around the World and exclusive special reports.
• Worldtradelaw.net
  Provides detailed summaries and commentaries on WTO Panel and Appellate Body Reports. Each document provides a basic summary of the panel's or Appellate Body's legal findings and conclusions, a timeline, references to other reports and materials, and expert analysis on many of the key issues in the report. There is also access to the full text of the Panel and Appellate Reports. See Dispute Settlement Commentary Subscriber Log-in Area to access the commentaries.
• TradeLawGuide
  This is a search engine that searches across PDF files of official awards, decisions, and other WTO documents and "notes up" (e.g. "shepardizes") by tracking how subsequent WTO reports, awards and decisions have considered specific passages in WTO jurisprudence. Features a citator that collects all jurisprudence under a treaty provision for the WTO system.

Country Data and Policy-Related Databases

• Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)
  Scholarly documents from leading international relations research centers. Complete texts of working papers and scholarly documents from leading international relations research centers. Complete texts of working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, and proceedings from conferences. Also provides access to relevant journal issues and books. Coverage: 1991 – present.
• EIU: Economist Intelligence Unit
  EIU provides analysis and forecasts of the political, economic and business environment in more than 180 countries. Includes reports on industries, country data (including economic indicators and forecasts) and daily country analysis. 1996 - present.
• PolicyFile: Public Policy Research and Analysis
  Abstracts of data from public policy think tanks, university research programs and publishers, with coverage from 1990. Links to organizational home pages and to full text documents, where available.

General Trade-Related Resources on the Internet

There are many sites on the Internet which focus on trade and trade-related issues. Listed below is a sampling of some of the sites available.

• U.S. Department of Commerce
• CATO Center for Trade Policy Studies
• Cornell Law School LII: International Trade
• Global Trade Negotiations (Harvard)
• Global Environment & Trade Study
• Juris International
• Lex Mercatoria
• Institute for International Economics
• International Trade Administration (U.S. Dept. of Commerce)
• Organization of American States Trade Unit
• CISG Database (Pace Law School)
• Trade and Commercial Relations Treaties (Fletcher Multilaterals Project)
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
• U.S. International Trade Commission
• U.S. Trade Representative

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

The purpose of NAFTA is establish a free-trade zone for Canada, Mexico and the United States. The agreement entered into force on January 1, 1994.

Sources for the Text of NAFTA

• NAFTA Secretariat
• SICE Foreign Trade Information System (OAS): NAFTA
• Main text: 32 International Legal Materials 239 (1993) - GULC only link through HeinOnline. Also available in print. INTL KZ64.I58
• Environmental side agreement: 32 International Legal Materials 1480 (1993) - GULC only link through HeinOnline. Also available in print. INTL KZ64.I58
• Labor side agreement: 32 International Legal Materials 1499 (1993) - GULC only link through HeinOnline. Also available in print. KZ64.I58
• North American Free Trade Agreement INTL KDZ945.A41992 A2 1992
• NAFTA Supplemental Agreement INTL REF KDZ945.A41992 A2 1993
• Lexis [Legal > Area of Law-By Topic > International Law > Treaties & International Agreements > North American Free Trade Agreement]
• Westlaw [NAFTA database]

Selected Sources for Commentary and Background Information on NAFTA

• NAFTA and Free Trade in the Americas in a Nutshell (2nd edition)
  Williams KDZ944.F653 2004 A good basic introduction to the agreement.
• North American Free Trade Agreements (updated regularly) INTL KDZ944.A35 N67
• The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) : Documents and Materials Including a Legislative History of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, Public Law 103-182 INTL KDZ944.A41992 N676 1994
• NAFTA Tax Law and Policy : Resolving the Clash Between Economic and Sovereignty Interests INTL KDZ 911.C63 2005
• NAFTA Revisited : Achievements and Challenges INTL HF1746.H85 2005
• NAFTA Investment Law and Arbitration : Past Issues, Current Practice, Future Prospects
  INTL KDZ744.N34 2004

NAFTA Panel Decisions

• NAFTA Secretariat (chapters 19 & 20 panel decisions only)
• NAFTA Investor-State Arbitrations (chapter 11) (U.S. Dept. of State)
• SICE: Foreign Trade Information System (OAS)
• Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - by Topic > International Trade > Cases > Interpreting U.S. Law]
• Westlaw [NAFTA-BIP database]
• NAFTAClaims.com (investor claims)
• North American Free Trade Agreements (updated regularly) INTL KDZ944.A35 N67
• International Trade Reporter (updated regularly) INTL REF KF6656.5 .I58 Mostly summaries.
• NAFTA Arbitration Reports (updated regularly) INTL REF KDZ944.A53 20002
• NAFTA Chapter Eleven Reports INTL KDZ944.A41992 A12 2006

NAFTA Internet Resources

• NAFTA Secretariat
  The official website of NAFTA.
• Canada Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade - NAFTA Information
• Latin American Network Information Center - NAFTA Resources
• MEXonline.com - Mexico NAFTA Resources
• U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
• NAFTA Research Guide (Harvard)
• NAFTA Research Guide (Duke)

Bibliographies on NAFTA

• Metz, A. A NAFTA Bibliography INTL KDZ944.A12 M48 1996
• Muck, B. "Selected Bibliography of Materials on NAFTA" in 1 NAFTA : Law and Business Review of the Americas 168 (1995) INTL K14 .A15
• Posadas, A. "Closer Borders: Investment and Law in Mexico after the NAFTA: A Bibliography with Index" in 6 Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law 371 (1996) - electronic access through HeinOnline - GULC only
• Zangari, B.J. NAFTA : Issues, Industry Sector Profiles and Bibliography
  INTL HF3211 .N348 1994

GATT / WTO

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was an international organization that promoted international trade and the reduction of trade barriers from 1947 to 1994. The World Trade Organization, the successor organization of the GATT, was established following the eighth round of GATT negotiations (the Uruguay Round) in 1995.

The Georgetown Law Library has written an extensive research guide on the GATT/WTO. Researchers should refer to this guide for detailed information on these two organizations.

The following materials are some of the most useful ones for researching the GATT/WTO. See the GATT/WTO research guide for many more sources.

• Worldtradelaw.net - GULC only
  Provides detailed summaries and commentaries on WTO Panel and Appellate Body Reports. Each document provides a basic summary of the panel's or Appellate Body's legal findings and conclusions, a timeline, references to other reports and materials, and expert analysis on many of the key issues in the report. There is also access to the full text of the Panel and Appellate Reports. See Dispute Settlement Commentary Subscriber Log-in Area to access the commentaries.
• World Trade Online - GULC only
  Immediate access to the latest in trade news. Each day's complete issue of Inside U.S. Trade, plus retrospective coverage going back 5 years. Also available: News from Around the World and exclusive special reports.
• WTO Reporter - GULC only
  Daily coverage of news developments from and about the World Trade Organization.
• WTO Dispute Settlement: One-Page Case Summaries [pdf]
  Concise overviews of cases from 1995 to Sept. 2006.
• Bibliography on the World Trade Organization (Peace Palace Library)
• TradeLawGuide
  This search engine searches across PDF files of official awards, decisions, and other WTO documents and "notes up"
  (e.g. "shepardizes") by tracking how subsequent WTO reports, awards and decisions have considered specific passages in WTO
  jurisprudence. Features a citator that collects all jurisprudence under a treaty provision for the WTO.
• WTO Analytical Index
  The WTO Analytical Index is the authoritative guide to the interpretation and application of findings and decisions of WTO panels,
  the WTO Appellate Body and other Bodies. You can search for caselaw or decisions by topic (e.g. anti-dumping, footwear, or like
  products) or by agreement/article (e.g. TRIPS Art. 30 or Anti-Dumping Art. 2). The WTO Analytical Index is also available in print.
  INTL REF K4602.2 2003
• Analytical Index : Guide to GATT Law and Practice INTL REF KZ5185.C6 1994
  The GATT Analytical Index is similar to the WTO Analytical Index. It also contains notes on the drafting, interpretation and application
  of the articles of the GATT. It has references to corresponding articles from the Havana Charter and preceding drafts.
  

United States - Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

This agreement was signed by President Reagan and Prime Minister Mulroney on January 2, 1988 and, after implementing legislation was enacted in the United States and Canada, the Agreement entered into force on January 1, 1989. Its main purpose is to eliminate all tariffs on trade between the U.S. and Canada by January 1, 1998. The FTA was superseded by NAFTA (see above) on Jan. 1, 1994.

Sources for the text of FTA

• 27 International Legal Materials 293 (1988) (from HeinOnline - GULC only) Also available in print. INTL KZ64 .I58
• The Free Trade Agreement : A Comprehensive Guide, p.205-336 Williams KF668.C321988 J64 1988
• U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement : The Complete Resource Guide
  Williams HF1480.5.U55 1988

Selected Sources for Commentary and Background Information on FTA

• The Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement : The Global Impact
  INTL KDZ944.C285 1988
• Canadian-American Trade and Investment under the Free Trade Agreement
  Williams HF1456.C765 1990
• A Concise Guide to the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
  Williams KF6668.C32 S73 1988
• Making free trade work : the Canada-U.S. Agreement
  Williams KF6668.C321988 A35 1990
• The U.S./Canada Trade Agreement Williams KF6668.C2 U54
• Milne, D. Canada-United States Free Trade : A Bibliography INTL HF1480.15.U5 M5 1989

FTA Panel Review Decisions

• Lexis [Lexis (Legal > Legal (excluding U.S.) > Canada > Treaties & International Agreements > U.S. - Canada FTA Panel Decisions]
• Westlaw [NAFTA-BIP database includes FTA panel decisions from 1/89 - 4/94]
• North American Free Trade Agreements (updated regularly) INTL KDZ944.A35 N67
• International Trade Reporter - GULC only Mostly summaries.
• Arbitral Panel Reports under Chapter 18 of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (OAS)

Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

The purpose of CAFTA is to create a trade free-zone between the United States and Central America by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers. After having passed in the U.S. Senate, CAFTA passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a narrow majority (217 to 215) on July 28, 2005. The seven members of CAFTA are: United States, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Sources for the text of CAFTA

• CAFTA-DR Final Text (Office of the United States Trade Representative)

Selective Legislative History of CAFTA

The following PDFs are available through GPO Access by entering "CAFTA" in the Quick Search.

• H.R. 3045 (ih) To implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement [Introduced in the House]
• S. 1307(is) To implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement [Introduced in the Senate]
• S. 1307 (rs) To implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement [Reported in the Senate]
• S. Res. 169 (is) Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to free trade negotiations that could adversely impact consumers of sugar in the United States as well as United States agriculture and the broader economy of the United States [Introduced in the Senate]
• H. Res. 98 (ih) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to free trade negotiations that could adversely impact the sugar industry of the United States [Introduced in the House]
• Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives (April 28, 2005) Williams KF27.E5522 2005c
• Implementation of DR-CAFTA: Hearing before the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives (April 21, 2005) Williams KF27.W3 2005c

Electronic Resources on CAFTA

• PolicyFile: Public Policy Research and Analysis - GULC only
  PolicyFile is a database covering documents from public policy think tanks, university research programs and publishers. A quick search of PolicyFile provided 31 results relating to CAFTA.
• Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) - GULC only
  A policy database similar to PolicyFile, a search for CAFTA in CIAO likewise returned many relevant results.
• CAFTA Corner
  An insightful blog on CAFTA that includes links to CAFTA research and commentary. Quick place to locate voting results. Note: this blog tracked CAFTA until the passage in the House, so no new posts are being added.
• CAFTA (USDA Foreign Agricultural Service)
  This site includes implementation news, background material, commodity fact sheets and more.

Periodical Literature

Periodical literature is a good way to obtain background information, locate the text of a foreign law, a citation, or locate information about a subject. Westlaw and Lexis provide excellent coverage of U.S. law reviews, but you should consider expanding your journal research to foreign journals and indexes for more comprehensive and global coverage. For information on other journal databases, see our Using Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research for a complete list. The databases listed below include full text and indexes.

If you already have a citation and want to know if the library has the article in electronic format, simply search the journal title in our online catalog. The results will display both print and electronic options.

• Cambridge University Press (Georgetown only)
  Full text access to journals published by Cambridge University Press. Search by title, abstract, or by full text. You can also limit by journal title or subject.
• Oxford University Press (Georgetown only)
  Online access to journals covering legal, regional affairs, social sciences, and other subjects. Search by title, abstract, or by full text. You can also limit by journal title or subject.
• Kluwer Law International Journals (Georgetown only)
  Kluwer publishes several trade related journals and you can search them here. Also known as KLI Journals Online. Note: The Library does not subscribe to all titles that are listed on the Kluwer web site.

To obtain the best results, use periodical indexes to locate relevant citations. Below are listed a few of the most commonly used journal indexes. See our journal indexes page for a complete list. If you are new to using indexes to find articles, have a look at these two guides: Locating Journal Articles: Foreign & International and Using Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research.

• Index to Legal Periodicals and Books (Georgetown only)
  This resource is a comprehensive index of mainly U.S. law reviews, bar journals, and more from 1981 to the present. For historical research, search the Legal Periodicals Retrospective[174] (be sure to "check" the retro box) which covers the years 1918-1981.
• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (Georgetown Law only)
  This is an index of foreign law reviews many of which may not be in English. Searching, citations, and index terms are in English. This is one of the few ways to electronically search foreign law journals.
• Legal Journals Index (Georgetown Law only)
  This is part of Current Legal Information and provides citations from 320 British and European periodicals in the legal and financial areas. Note: this requires a password. Follow link for information.

Selected Specialized Journals

• Asper Review of International Business and Trade Law available online (Georgetown Law Only) after 2010.
• International Economic Review available online (Georgetown Law Only) after 2004.
• International Trade Law & Regulation available in print in Wolff Library.
• Journal of International Economic Law available online (Georgetown Law Only) after December 2010.
• Journal of World Trade available online and in print (Georgetown Law Only).
• The Journal of World Investment & Trade available only in print in Wolff Library.
• World Trade Review available online (Georgetown Law Only) after July 2010.

Other Research Guides

Want more information about international trade law? These other research guides may help.

• ASIL Electronic Research Guide: International Economic Law (American Society of International Law)
• A Guide to MERCOSUR Legal Research: Sources and Documents (GlobaLex)
• International Trade Law Research (Boston University)
• Research Guide on the Trading Systems in the Asian-Pacific Region: APEC, ASEAN and Their Members (GlobaLex)