Publication

This report describes the trade situation in 2008-09 and then examines the range of contingency measures available in trade agreements and the role that these measures play. Contingency measures seek to strike a balance between commitments and flexibility. The report analyzes whether WTO provisions provide a balance between supplying governments with necessary flexibility to face difficult economic situations and adequately defining them in a way that limits their use for protectionist purposes. In analyzing this question, the report focuses primarily on contingency measures and discusses alternative policy options. The analysis includes consideration of legal, economic and political economy factors that influence the use of these measures.