International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook (Four-Volume Set)

To purchase a complete four-volume set of the fifth edition of International Trade Law at a discounted price, click on the shopping cart icon above. To purchase individual volumes (or to request an exam copy), click on the following links:

Volume One (Interdisciplinary Foundations and Fundamental Obligations)

Volume Two (Customs Law and National Security)

Volume Three (Remedies)

Volume Four (Preferences, Labor, Environment, and Intellectual Property)

International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook is thoroughly revised and updated in its fifth edition, building upon the global success of its predecessor editions. Around the world, the Textbook has been used by law students and teachers at over 100 law schools as indispensable for their courses, and by countless lawyers, judges, policymakers, and scholars as the definitive reference in the field.

The four Volumes of this new edition are flexible, user-friendly modules that allow for the option of a comprehensive, two-semester course, such as basic and advanced International Trade Law, or any combination of one-semester courses, such as Customs Law, Trade and National Security, Trade Remedies, Trade and Development, Free Trade Agreements, or Trade, Labor, and the Environment. New Chapters include the documentary sale, trade and climate change, animal rights, Sino-American trade relations, and Indian trade law and policy.

There has been more disruption in the world of international trade law since the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election than at any time since the Second World War. Not only does this Textbook cover all existing U.S. FTAs, but it also addresses the updates associated with the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0) and the Sino-American Trade War. Simply put, trade is increasingly more about regional and bilateral deals, and about national level measures concerning customs law and national security (such as the Section 232 steel and aluminum actions and sanctions against Iran). Competitor books on international trade law are too narrow, because they focus only on multilateral matters. The field is about far more than the WTO. The demise of the WTO Appellate Body, plus other post-2016 developments, underscore the reality that trade is a far broader, deeper field than ever before. Only this Textbook pays due regard to these new realities, and does so in a clearly organized, cogently analyzed, and elegantly written manner.

A freely downloadable Teacher's Manual, which includes sample course syllabi, is available electronically, upon adoption.

This peerless Textbook is endorsed by 20 leading scholars and practitioners across 10 countries, and since the first edition in 1996, has come to define the "canon" of International Trade Law.

Testimonials:

In my experience, few books set a first rate standard for students and teachers alike. This textbook does. Its interdisciplinary, non-western orientation, coupled with its coverage of time-honored precepts and contemporary issues, is a novel and timely synthesis."
— Jagdish N. Bhagwati, University Professor (Economics, Law, and International Affairs), Columbia University

Raj Bhala has produced a public good for students, and practitioners alike. This is the most comprehensive textbook on international trade law. Accessible to the un-initiated, and yet valuable to the expert, the four volumes are must read for anyone working or interested in this area of law."

— Petros C. Mavroidis, Edwin B Parker Professor of Law, Columbia Law School

This Textbook masterfully covers the field of International Trade Law. Especially impressive is the seriousness with which it takes the linkages between trade and national security. From crafting trade sanctions and export controls to contesting state-sponsored industrial policy and misappropriation of critical technology, from using free trade agreements to complement defense strategies to addressing extremism through poverty-alleviating trade policies, it's all here. Appealing to readers who come to this field with diverse backgrounds and interests is not easy. This Textbook, logically organized and elegantly written, does so with ease."

— Matthew C. Waxman, Liviu Librescu Professor of Law, Faculty Chair, National Security Law Program, Columbia Law School

Raj Bhala has done it again. In his trademark style, he has authored another textbook that is a superb "go to" reference for seasoned trade practitioners and, for students, an approachable introduction that covers the legal foundations and cross-disciplinary dimensions of the field. The Textbook effortlessly moves from elementary to sophisticated topics and will appeal as much to new students of international trade as to seasoned experts. The quality of the writing is typical Bhala: clear, efficient and elegant. Perhaps best of all, this Textbook is authentically cosmopolitan, of appeal to readers in Canada and around the globe."

— Paul M. Lalonde, Partner, Dentons Canada LLP, Toronto

This Textbook is the testimony of the intellectual prowess of a scholar's scholar in the field of International Trade Law. The length and width of the subject are covered in clear, elegant prose, with topics organized and divided in a logical accessible manner that is a delight to read. Careful, indeed compassionate in the cosmopolitan spirit, attention is paid to problems faced by developing countries. Rightly so in the post-9-11 world, the link between trade liberalization and national security is highlighted, and the theme of 'peace through trade' is critically explored. This Indian-American, visible as he is in the field of rapid development, should take pride in serving the thankful world trade community with this enlightening and user-friendly Textbook."

— Dr. A.F.M. Maniruzzaman, Chair and Professor of International Business Law, School of Law, University of Portsmouth

As always, Raj Bhala offers thought provoking perspectives and fresh insights that show how and why the international trade regime has become so contested. This latest Textbook is a timely and important contribution to today's debate about the philosophy, ethics, and outcomes that should shape this regime for the 21st century."

— Jane Kelsey, Professor of Law, The University of Auckland