Publication

This report discusses the implications of the indefinite suspension of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The author argues that the suspension marks a watershed for the future of the international trade system. According to him, one likely alternative would be preferential trade agreements (PTAs). He warns, however, that the long-term implications for world trade of a mass proliferation of PTAs are uncertain and suggests that a better plan B would be to reform the multilateral system itself, including slimming down trade negotiations or allowing more discretion for WTO members to advance at their own speed.