Main findings and conclusions

One of the most pressing issues confronting the multilateral trade system today is the rapid proliferation of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Much has been written about why governments might choose to negotiate preferentially or multilaterally, but this literature has been written almost exclusively from the perspective of governments. We know very little about how non-state actors (NSAs) view the issue of forum choice, or how they position themselves to influence choices by governments about whether to emphasize PTAs or the World Trade Organization (WTO). The case studies in this book have sought to address these issues through interviews with state and non-state actors involved in trade policy-making in eight countries.