Recolonisation: GATT, the Uruguay Round and the Third World
Chakravarthi Raghavan
Third World Network
ISBN: 983-99573-5-X (Hb.) 983-99573-4-1 (Pb.)
320 pages, 14x21.5cm
Hardcover: US$27.00

The Uruguay Round of trade negotiations under GATT is likely to reshape world economic structures for decades to come. The industrialised countries are attempting to extend their control of world trade and production through the inclusion of new areas (like services, foreign investments and intellectual property) into the GATT framework. If they succeed, their transnational corporations will gain unprecedented rights to set up base in the Third World (not only in industry but also services) and to tighten their monopoly over industrial technology.

The Uruguay Round could roll back the Third World's gains in economic sovereignty since independence and usher in a new era of economic colonialism, where economic power is ever more concentrated in TNCs.

This book is essential reading for Third World leaders and officials, development economists and NGOs and all those interested in the international relations and the future of the South.

"....this book goes beyound the rhetoric....gives a detailed analysis of the issues which are likely to affect developing countries for decades to come....very readable--most of the obscure GATT jargon being cut out...."
David Cooper, SPUR

CONTENTS

List of Tables
Glossary
Publisher's Note
Foreword by Julius Nyerere
Introduction

PART 1: BACKGROUND

The Uruguay Round versus Sustainable Development
A Round to Restrain Competition from Third World
Flag, Trade and Gunboat Diplomacy
Freedom to Transnational Capital

The Rise and Fall of the New International Economic Order
Decline of US Economic Dominance
Why the North Chose GATT to Reshape World Economy

The US Push for a New GATT Round
The Role of the TNCs
The Breaking Up of Third World Unity
Promised Concessions That Never Came

PART II: NEW THEMES FOR GATT

Chapter 4
The New Themes and Their Interlinkages

15 Items on Agenda
Unilateral Actions Show US Intentions
Super 301 and Special 301 Give US Stronger Powers
US Objectives in New Themes
For the ICs, All the Issues are Interlinked
Double Standards in the Theory and Practice of "Free Trade"
Keeping the Third World Technology Poor

How Services Were Brought into GATT
North and South Disagree on Priorities
The US Position
The EEC Position
Sign Now, Define Its Meaning Later
The Position of Some Third World Countries

Changing Concepts and Laws Regarding Patents
Bringing 'Intellectural Property' into GATT
Why Patent Moves May Harm Third World
US Double Standards
Uruguay Round Mandate on IPRs 126
The North Pushes Its Version of Trips
Trips Will Rollback Third World's Interests

Third World's Measures to Regulate Investments
US, Japan and Europe Push for TRIMs
Third World Wants to Curb TNCs' Restrictive Practices

Bringing Agriculture into GATT
The Third World Role in Agricultural Trade
Position of Different Country Groups
Liberalisation: Effect on Third World

PART III: TRADITIONAL AND SYSTEMIC ISSUES

Chapter 9
Traditional GATT Issues

Standstill and Rollback
Tariffs
Non-tariff Measures (NTMs)
Tropical Products
Natural Resource-based Products
Textiles and Clothing

Safeguards
Selective Safeguards Will Make GATT Itself a Super-MFA
MTN Agreements and Arrangements
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
GATT Articles
Dispute Settlement
Functioning of the GATT System (FOGS)
Graduation

PART IV: THE MIDTERM REVIEW AND AFTER

Chapter 11
The Midterm Review, Dec. 1988

Preparations for the Review
Reports for the Montreal Meeting
Montreal Agreement on Tropical Products
Agreements on Tariffs, Dispute Settlements and FOGS
Agreement on Services
No Agreement on Textiles, Safeguards, TRIPs and Agriculture

Moves after Montreal
Third World Joint Position on TRIPs
Dunkel's Consultations
Lack of Openness at Consultations
The Battle over TRIPs
US Uses 301 to Weakean Third World
Accords Reflect Third World Compromises
Textiles: No Phasing Out of MFA
Agriculture
Safeguards
TRIPs: Third World Backs Down

Third World Position Worse Off
Traditional and Systemic Issues
Position of the New Themes
Moves to Expand GATT's Powers

PART V: EPILOGUE

Chapter 14
What Needs to be Done

The Need for Third World Unity
Negotiation Strategy
Traditional Issues
Systemic Issues
New Themes
Time Now For Action

Annex 1: The Punta del Este Declaration