After Doha : CN Canada-US Trade Forum: March 29, 2007 : after Doha : evolution or revolution in the world trading system?

The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the funding agencies involved. [...] In this brief, we start with a short overview of the world trading system since the Second World War, emphasizing the contribution that trade liberalization makes to world growth. [...] The Evolution of World Trade Since the end of the Second World War, the United States and Europe have led the world’s march towards progressively freer trade. [...] Eight multilateral rounds of trade liberalization were successfully concluded under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO). [...] Causes of the Doha Breakdown Several factors contributed to the breakdown of the DDR talks and the real possibility that they will never reach a satisfactory outcome.