Main Article Content
Abstract
The Most Favoured Nation Treatment (MFN) is the founding principle of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor The World Trade Organisation. Introduced in 1947 by the GAT, and re-affirmed in 1995 by the WTO, the MFN aimed to rid the world of discriminatory trade practices. This aspirational aim was to create a level playing field for all countries engaged in trade and create more opportunities for developing nations to trade with those already flourishing on the world trade stage. With normative research methodology, this article claims that MFN has never achieved this aim. It examines how the MFN has been eroded over time by exceptions to the MFN allowed by the GAT and the WTO. Preferential Trade Agreements and new trade initiatives such as The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are also evidence of more departures from the MFN as countries seek new vehicles for more effective trade. The article concludes that the MFN is becoming more and more irrelevant over time, and little can be done to revive it.
Keywords: Free Trade Agreements; Most Favoured Nation Treatment (MFN); Preferential Trade Agreements; Plurilateral Trade Agreements
Kehancuran Perlahan Asas Most Favoured Nations
Abstrak
Asas Most Favoured Nations (MFN) adalah prinsip dasar dalam General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) dan penerusnya yaitu Organisasi Perdagangan Dunia (WTO). Diperkenalkan pada tahun 1947 oleh GATT, dan ditegaskan kembali pada tahun 1995 oleh WTO, MFN bertujuan untuk membersihkan dunia dari praktik perdagangan yang diskriminatif. Tujuan aspirasional ini adalah untuk menciptakan 'taman bermain' yang setara bagi semua negara yang terlibat dalam perdagangan internasional dan menciptakan lebih banyak peluang bagi negara-negara berkembang untuk memiliki hubungan perdagangan dengan negara-negara maju di panggung perdagangan dunia. Dengan metodologi penelitian normatif, artikel ini mengklaim bahwa MFN tidak pernah mencapai tujuan ini. Artikel ini mengkaji bagaimana MFN telah terkikis dari waktu ke waktu oleh pengecualian terhadap MFN yang diizinkan oleh GATT dan WTO. Perjanjian Perdagangan Preferensial dan inisiatif perdagangan baru seperti Regional Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (RCEP) dan Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) juga merupakan bukti adanya lebih banyak penyimpangan dari MFN karena negara-negara mencari alat baru untuk perdagangan yang lebih efektif. Artikel ini menyimpulkan bahwa MFN menjadi semakin tidak relevan dari waktu ke waktu, dan sedikit yang dapat dilakukan untuk menghidupkannya kembali.
Kata Kunci: Perjanjian Perdagangan Bebas; Asas Most Favoured Nations; Perjanjian Perdagangan Preferensial; Perjanjian Perdagangan Plurilateral
Keywords
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References
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- European Communities - Regime for the Importation, Sale and Distribution of Bananas, DS158.
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References
Cases
European Communities - Regime for the Importation, Sale and Distribution of Bananas, DS158.
Indonesia – Certain Measures Affecting the Automobile Industry (Indonesia Autos), DS54, DS55, DS59, DS64, report of the Panel.
Statutes
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.
Books
Trebilcock MJ and Trachtman JP, ‘Trade Policy and Developing Countries’, Advanced introduction to international trade law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020).
Journal
Brennan AM, ‘The Special and Differential Treatment Mechanism and the WTO: Cultivating Trade Inequality for Developing Countries’ (2011) 14 Trinity College Law Review 143.
Hoekman BM and Mavroidis PC, ‘WTO “à La Carte” or “Menu Du Jour”? Assessing the Case for More Plurilateral Agreements’ (2015) 26 The European Journal of International Law 319.
Maruyama WH, ‘Preferential Trade Arrangements and the Erosion of the WTO’s MFN Principle’ (2010) 46 Stanford Journal of International Law 177.
Wang H, ‘The Belt and Road Initiative Agreements: Characteristics, Rationale, and Challenges’ (2021) 20 World Trade Review 282.
Proceeding
Heriyanto DSN and Nugroho ER, ‘Harmonizing the International Trade Policies and the Right for Health Protection Measures: Case Study on WHO DSB Ruling on US-Clove Cigarettes’, Proceeding The 2nd Indonesia Tobacco Control Conference And Capacity Building Program (Lembaga Pengembangan Pendidikan, Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat UMY 2015).
Report
OECD, ‘China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape’ (2018) <https://www.oecd.org/finance/Chinas-Belt-and-Road-Initiative-in-the-global-trade-investment-and-finance-landscape.pdf> accessed 18 September 2021.
Websites
Desierto D, ‘The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’s Chapter 19 Dispute Settlement Procedures – EJIL: Talk!’ (EJIL: Talk!, 16 November 2020) <https://www.ejiltalk.org/the-regional-comprehensive-economic-partnership-rceps-chapter-19-dispute-settlement/> accessed 4 September 2021.
Elms D, ‘RCEP: A First Look at the Texts’ (2020) <http://asiantradecentre.org/ talkingtrade/rcep-a-first-look-at-the-texts> accessed 1 September 2021.
European Commission, ‘The Banana Case: Background and History’ (2000) <https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2003/december/tradoc_114950.pdf> accessed 13 September 2021.
Harvey D, ‘The Banana War - A Case Study in Trade Restrictions’ <https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/david.harvey/AEF811/AEF811.9/Banana.html> accessed 12 September 2021.
Heriyanto DSN and Nugroho ER, ‘Harmonizing the International Trade Policies and the Right for Health Protection Measures: Case Study on WHO DSB Ruling on US-Clove Cigarettes’, Proceeding The 2nd Indonesia Tobacco Control Conference And Capacity Building Program (Lembaga Pengembangan Pendidikan, Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat UMY 2015) <http://thesis.umy.ac.id/ datapubliknonthesis/PRO7649.pdf#page=27> accessed 17 May 2021.
Lester S and Zhu H, ‘Is China Still a Developing Nation? That’s Its WTO Status’ Commentary (2018) <https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/25/what-trump-gets-right-about-china-and-trade.html> accessed 12 August 2021.
OECD, ‘China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape’ (2018) <https://www.oecd.org/finance/Chinas-Belt-and-Road-Initiative-in-the-global-trade-investment-and-finance-landscape.pdf> accessed 18 September 2021.
Patterson E, ‘The US-EU Banana Dispute’ (ASIL Insights, 27 February 2001) <https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/epigenetic-modelling-of-former-current-and-never-smokers> accessed 13 June 2021.
WTO, ‘WTO, About the Organization’ (2021) <https://www.wto.org/ english/thewto_e/thewto_e.htm> accessed 9 August 2021
‘WTO | Disputes - Dispute Settlement CBT - Developing Countries in WTO Dispute Settlement - Developing Country Members in Dispute Settlement - Theoryand Practice - Page 1’ (2017) <https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/ disp_settlement_cbt_e/c11s1p1_e.htm> accessed 10 August 2021.