Trade
Trade matters. It has the potential to advance sustainable, low-carbon development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement climate commitments present fundamental challenges to trade policy; so too do growing protectionism and the fraying of multilateralism.
IISD has been working on international trade for over two decades. Our work mirrors the scientific, economic, fiscal, legal and environmental aspects of trade. IISD focuses on reforms to the World Trade Organization and other trade agreements (including the North American Free Trade Agreement); options for new industrial policies functioning within a rules-based system; and whether trade can accelerate renewable energy and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. IISD examines trade-related issues ranging from global food security and other commitments set out in the SDGs, to innovative financing for sustainable infrastructure, carbon-border adjustment measures and the role of big data.
IISD works with developing countries and others on international investment treaties. It also addresses trade issues through its flagship Investment Treaty News, Global Subsidies Initiative and the SDG Knowledge Hub.
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Exploring the Trade Impacts of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
How do fossil fuel subsidies affect competitiveness and trade in various markets, and what is the likely scale of such impacts? This paper sheds light on the relevance of fossil fuel subsidies from an international trade policy perspective, in particular for the WTO.
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E-commerce in the World Trade Organization: History and latest developments in the negotiations under the Joint Statement
This negotiating brief was prepared for the Geneva Seminar held on January 29, 2020, on the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) devoted to electronic commerce, which involves a group of World Trade Organization (WTO) Members.
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Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions
This negotiating brief was prepared for the January 28, 2020 seminar in Geneva on the Joint Statement Initiative on Investment Facilitation.
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Global Economic Governance Through the Lens of Inequality and Sustainable Development: Meeting Report
This meeting report was developed following a one-day workshop held in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 13, 2019, on the subjects of global economic governance, income inequality and sustainable development.
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Modernizing the Energy Charter Treaty: A make-or-break moment for sustainable, climate-friendly energy policy
The stated goal of the Energy Charter Treaty is to foster cooperation in the energy sector, but it's creating more problems than it's solving.
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The State of Sustainable Markets 2019: Statistics and emerging trends
This joint publication by ITC, IISD and FiBL provides comprehensive data on the sustainability standards being used for the production of various commodities, including banana, cocoa, coffee, cotton, oil palm, soybean, sugarcane, tea and forestry products.
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Investment Treaty News (ITN), Volume 10, Issue 2, June 2019
Investment Treaty News (ITN) is IISD’s flagship journal on international investment law and policy.
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Overfishing Calls for Concrete Actions
Our oceans and fish stocks—and the populations that depend on them—all suffer from the consequences of overfishing. We share a glimpse of the current WTO push to end harmful fisheries subsidies by 2020.
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How Could China’s New Foreign Investment Law Impact Trade Debate?
Negotiators from the United States and China have met repeatedly in recent weeks to reach an agreement to resolve some of the trade irritants between them, including the high-profile issue of forced technology transfers.
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How Can Blockchain Improve Sustainability in Mining?
Companies interested in sustainability and transparency are starting to use blockchain to trace materials back to their sources.
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