World trade volume is in retreat for the first time in more than two decades and the contraction is on a scale not seen since the global recession following the second oil shock of 1979-1980. The United States (US) is at the epicenter of the crisis and is a major source of external demand for...

The "Spaghetti Bowl" (or "Noodle Bowl") phenomenon describes the trade-distorting effects caused by the multitude of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) signed in the last three decades. As RTAs allow for a different treatment of imports from different countries, rules defining a product's country...

The rapid diffusion of the internet and electronic commerce changes the way business and international trade take place. The new economy poses new challenges to the international regulatory framework, since small distortions due to differing sets of regulations and taxation between countries...