The seventies can be seen as the decade where the ingenuity of the human mind knew no bounds to the invention of new non-tariff barriers, circumventing the original GATT rules. Where has this neoprotectionism led so far and what is the outlook for the future?

The importance of non-tariff barriers in restricting free trade has risen during recent years. Due to their selectivity non-tariff barriers may distort trade even more significantly than tariffs. Developing countries and economies in transition are often most negatively affected.

The globalisation of markets is calling national employment and social legislation increasingly into question, so that not only the international trade union organisations but also the Clinton Administration are calling for workers' rights to be embodied in trade agreements. This article deals...