As Malaysia begins to position itself strategically in the knowledge-based economy, the services sector has been earmarked as its next engine of growth. This idea, in its rudimentary form at least, has been bounced around the discussion circles of policy-makers, policy scholars and various other intellectuals involved in influencing national policy for more than a decade now. Indeed, the importance of the services sector to further Malaysia’s economic growth has been increasingly highlighted in the country’s various development plans.

When the Malaysian Standards Industrial Research Institute Malaysia (SIRIM), an organization designated as a national enquiry point for technical barriers to trade (TBT) in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), informed local manufacturers that the Ministry of Social Welfare of Colombia had proposed a new requirement for the labelling of natural latex condoms, a local company voiced its objection against such a requirement.

Malawi is a land-locked country occupying the southern part of the Rift Valley in east Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Mozambique to the south and east and Tanzania to the north. In 2001, the estimated population in Malawi was 11 million (World Bank 2003). This relatively small sub-Saharan African country is one of the poorest in the world, with GDP per capita of US$163 in 2001 and over half of the poor population living in the rural area.

The WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) set up a transitional mechanism in 1995, with a view to phasing out quotas for trade in textiles and clothing by the end of 2004. Even though the total global imports of textiles and clothing will expand, competition is also likely to increase among many garment exporting countries around the world. It is expected that textile and garment companies in medium- to high-cost countries will reduce their manufacturing production. In contrast, those in low-cost countries with a strong competitive advantage will expand their production and export capacities to become preferred suppliers and to take advantage of liberalization. Lao textile and garment companies will be affected at different levels depending on their competitive capacities.

This study deals with a particular case submitted to the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) dealing with restrictions on the export of Korean colour televisions sets to the United States. It is a story of how Korea used the WTO DSM as part of an overall strategy to eliminate a trade barrier that had been in place for fifteen years. It is also a story of how Korea’s attitude towards the WTO changed. Thus, before we start dealing with this particular case, we need to look at some background, at what Koreans think about trade and their initial perception of the WTO.

Kenya was among the founding members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) when the Marrakesh Agreement was signed in Morocco on 15 April 1994. The notification process was completed by 31 December 1994, when accession to the WTO was completed. As a member, Kenya is signatory to all WTO agreements including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the Agreement on Agriculture (AOA), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Patents, the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Kenya’s Industrial Property Act, 2001 have been singled out as the main scapegoats in the problem of accessing AIDS drugs in Kenya. This has prevented the pursuit of a more realistic national health policy and strategy to address the problem. Remarkably, AIDS-related deaths are also associated with limited care and support. AIDS is generally undermining Kenya’s survival, development, productivity and competitiveness.

The shrimp business in Indonesia is now under serious challenge, both internally and externally. Internally, the shrimp business faces many problems, especially in the production (farming) phase, such as disease infestation, shortage of shrimp fry, shrimp feed and medicine, regional planning and infrastructure, and farmer empowerment. Externally, the current flooding of relatively ‘cheap’ imported shrimp into Indonesia has had a detrimental effect on the profitability of businesses. Some of them went bankrupt and a large number have been in financial difficulties. Depressed world prices had begun in 2002, when the US government enacted an anti-dumping measure against China, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil and Ecuador. This low price will potentially reduce incentives for doing business, reduce the quality of Indonesian shrimp and eventually reduce Indonesia’s competitiveness in the world market.

This case study deals with the way in which the Indian shrimp industry responded when faced with an anti-dumping action in the United States. It also indicates the potential impact of the anti-dumping action on the fragmented, small-producers-dominated industry.

This case study relates to the geographical indication (GI) protection of Darjeeling tea. It tells the story of the unauthorized use and registration of ‘Darjeeling and Darjeeling logo’ by Japanese companies already registered in Japan by the Tea Board of India. The study also refers to the unauthorized use and attempted registration of the words ‘Darjeeling and Darjeeling logo’ by some other developed countries.