Résumé
Between July 2005 and January 2006. Swiss and US trade officials conducted exploratory talks to determine whether a free trade agreement (FTA) would be economically desirable and politically feasible. In January 2006, the talks were recessed when the Swiss Federal Council decided that - while an FTA would be economically desirable, free trade in agriculture was not politically feasible. The FTA talks may be resumed after the conclusion of the WTO Doha Development Round. Switzerland and the United States have launched a Trade and Investment Forum with a view to reaching agreements on discrete topics.
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Extrait
Free Trade Between Switzerland and the United States
1 Introduction
At first sight, a free trade agreement between Switzerland and the United States seems implausible. Despite centuries of friendship, the countries are not political or military allies, and they do not share the same continent or the same language. While both countries are rich and mature, subscribe to market capitalism, and are relatively open to the world economy, these similarities can be read as reasons not to enter a free trade agreement. After all, what's the purpose of an FTA between two rich countries that embrace similar economic constitutions and are already quite open to each other's exports? Won't another FTA just add to the 'spaghetti bowl' of confusion that threatens to undermine the world trading system?1 Finally, in the closing months of the WTO Doha Development Round,2 does it make sense to distract diplomatic and legislative energy from the overarching goal of global trade liberalization?Some observers, both in Switzerland and the United States, will find in these queries their definitive answer: A bilateral FTA makes no sense. Others, including myself and co-authors at the Institute for International Economics, argue that each skeptical question can be turned into an argument for a bilateral FTA.In 2005, the Institute undertook a study of a possible Swiss-US FTA, and the initial draft has been posted on the Institute's website (www.iie.com). The final version will be published in 2006. Our study will be of most interest to observers who do not foreclose the possibility of a Swiss-US FTA. Before sketching the major issues, it's worth seeing how the skeptical questions can be turned into positive arguments for a Swiss-US FTA.1.1 Is the Geographic and Political Distance too Great?Prior to the mid-1990s, free trade agreements and customs unions were dominated by pacts between neighboring countries that were already, or in the process of becoming, political allies -...Voir le contenu complet de ce document
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