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The report examines South Africa's role as an economic hegemon in Southern Africa, analyzing how its global trade agenda and corporate expansion affect SADC integration. It finds that while South African FDI often provides developmental benefits like job creation and infrastructure, the country's pursuit of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with non-SADC partners may undermine regional producers. Quantitative analysis suggests that SADC trade liberalization has led to significant trade diversion, where imports from SADC partners replace more efficient global sources, resulting in a net welfare loss for South African consumers. The report also highlights restrictive rules of origin and infrastructure deficits as major barriers to meaningful regional trade expansion.

The document examines the dynamics of trade between China and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), noting that while South African exports of resources are booming, the region faces significant job losses in labour-intensive light industries like apparel and footwear due to Chinese competition. It discusses the tension between the welfare gains of cheaper imports for the poor and the political pressure from trade unions and business to protect domestic industry. The text suggests that SACU is likely to pursue a narrow, symbolic preferential agreement similar to its deals with Mercosur and India, although some participants argue that a comprehensive FTA would better force necessary economic adjustments and improve long-term productivity.

The document analyzes the 'second wave' of regionalism in trade, characterized by a shift toward bilateral agreements and 'deeper integration' involving investment and intellectual property rights. It surveys various agreements (including NAFTA, ASEAN, and EU partnerships) to evaluate how they handle environmental exceptions, capacity building, and investor-state dispute settlement. The paper argues that while regionalism can pioneer new policy approaches, it risks creating a 'spaghetti bowl' of conflicting rules and may undermine the multilateral system by eroding the most-favoured-nation principle and restricting the policy space of developing nations.

The report argues that a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Mercosur would offer limited static economic gains, as current trade flows would likely reinforce South Africa's existing comparative advantage in capital-intensive primary products. However, it highlights significant dynamic opportunities for industrial development through intra-industry specialisation, institutional collaboration on technology and small business policy, and the potential to discipline dominant upstream firms through increased competition. The author warns of risks in sensitive sectors, particularly motor vehicles and agriculture, where South Africa could become a 'periphery location' to Brazil's larger economy.

The document examines the history and current state of bilateral, regional, and multilateral investment agreements, concluding that the traditional model focuses too heavily on investor protection at the expense of host-state regulatory autonomy and sustainable development goals.

The document examines Brazil's role in the FTAA negotiations, highlighting the tension between Brazil's desire for agricultural market access and the US's push for the inclusion of 'Singapore issues' such as investment and intellectual property. It details Brazil's efforts to protect sensitive industrial sectors and its strategic use of Mercosur to avoid isolation as the US pursues bilateral agreements with other Latin American nations. The analysis concludes that the FTAA is shifting toward a flexible 'ALCA-lite' framework with a limited built-in agenda.

The document analyzes the intersection of intellectual property and development, highlighting the risks of fragmented negotiations across different international bodies. It focuses on three critical issues for the September 2004 WIPO General Assembly: the interrelation between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and IP disclosure requirements, the proposed treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations, and the future of the Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT). Additionally, it tracks IP-related activities in the WTO, WHO, UNCTAD, and various bilateral 'TRIPS-plus' trade agreements, arguing that developed countries often use bilateral fora to circumvent multilateral flexibilities.

The report analyzes how Argentina's trade liberalization in the 1990s affected its environmental footprint. It finds that while the manufacturing export pattern remained dominated by high-pollution sectors, the agro-industrial sector experienced a 'virtuous' cycle where technological adoption, such as no-till farming and transgenic crops, improved soil health and reduced certain chemical residues. The document argues that Argentina's competitive advantage in sustainable agriculture could be leveraged in international negotiations, provided that national policies continue to support research and development in 'soft' technologies.

The report examines the interaction between economic growth, trade liberalization, and the environment in Argentina during the 1990s. It finds that while manufacturing exports remained dominated by high-pollution sectors, the agricultural sector experienced a 'virtuous cycle' where production increases coincided with the adoption of conservationist technologies like no-till farming and transgenic crops, which mitigated some environmental impacts.

The document argues that the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) requires a dedicated hemispheric framework to ensure trade liberalization supports sustainable development. It reviews sub-regional models—including Mercosur, CARICOM, the Andean Community, the Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development, and NAFTA—to identify best practices in environmental management and civil society participation. The authors propose a new Americas Environmental Accord (AEA) based on the 2001 Mercosur Framework Agreement on the Environment, suggesting it include shared objectives for environmental protection, dispute settlement mechanisms, and protocols for natural resource management. Additionally, the paper recommends conducting ex-ante sustainability impact assessments (SIA) for the FTAA and establishing a Public Advisory Committee to foster inclusive dialogue between governments and civil society.

The document examines Brazil's trade policy from the post-WWII import-substitution era to the mid-2000s. While Brazil achieved significant trade surpluses and productivity gains following liberalization in the 1990s, the author argues that these successes are largely due to global economic conditions rather than current government strategy. The paper highlights the 'Brazil Cost'—a combination of bureaucracy, infrastructure deficits, and high taxes—as a primary barrier to competitiveness. It further critiques the current administration's tendency to prioritize geopolitical goals over commercial interests in trade negotiations and calls for a more strategic, transparent, and institutionally coordinated approach to trade reform.