Energy Trade as a Special Sector in the WTO : Unique Features, Unprecedented Challenges and Unresolved Issues

The law of the World Trade Organization (WTO) governs and regulates trade relationships among WTO members. Within the scope of the WTO, energy trade is one of the most significant trade sectors, as it constitutes the largest primary commodity of global trade in terms of volume and value. For decades, the energy trade sector has been treated as a special case because of the unique features attached to the energy sector in general and energy trade in particular. This special treatment should continue due to a combination of crucial factors: firstly, the uniqueness and importance of energy; secondly, the unprecedented challenges and concerns that confront global energy industries in general and energy trade in particular; and thirdly, certain legal debates and unresolved issues that emerge from the intersection between WTO law and energy trade. This article aims to examine the various factors that distinguish energy trade from other trade sectors, highlighting those significant factors and analyzing in depth their components