Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/81290 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2006
Series/Report no.: 
IFN Working Paper No. 657
Publisher: 
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm
Abstract: 
The National Treatment clause (NT) is the first-line defense in the GATT (and in most other trade agreements) against opportunistic exploitation of the inevitable incompleteness of the agreement. This paper examines the role of NT as it applies to internal taxation under the GATT. It is shown that despite severely restricting the freedom to set internal taxes, NT may improve government welfare. But it will not completely solve the incomplete contract problem it is meant to remedy. Furthermore, it requires a high degree of economic sophistication on behalf of trade negotiators in order for this beneficial effect to materialize.
Subjects: 
National Treatment
GATT
WTO
Trade Agreements
JEL: 
F13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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