The document discusses the World Trade Organization (WTO) and provides information about its role in regulating international trade. It asks students to research abbreviations related to trade (MMC, GATT, WTO) and answer questions about China's economy and the Chinese central bank's recent actions to influence interest rates. It also asks students to consider the distinction between free trade areas and customs unions. The document provides background on the WTO, its dispute resolution process, benefits of the WTO system, and criticisms of the organization from protestors. Students are assigned homework to create notes summarizing what the WTO is, its main functions, and a balanced view of criticisms of its role.

1. World Trade Organisation

2. Homework owing… Investigate these abbreviations & what are they….: MMC GATT WTO And read article on China economy – answer Q’s at end of article.

3. Article Questions: What has the Chinese central bank done recently to influence external economy’s interest rates? Explain how China ‘generated’ their boom in domestic consumption. Show the impact of this on an AD/AS diagram (think carefully of positioning of AD) What does it mean that the Chinese economy is under threat of overheating? Draw a PPF for the Chinese economy… justify your choice of position for their economy. (use consumer V capital goods as your axis) What ‘raw resources’ do you think that China is ‘scooping up’? Why are they needed? Search the internet for images – Chinese economy – select 3 & explain what they are trying to portray.

4. World Trade Organisation

5. Syllabus Aims… Understand the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in trade liberalisation; trading blocs. The distinction between different types of trading blocs should be understood. Possible conflicts between trading blocs and the WTO should be considered.

6. What’s the link to today’s topic? ...exceed the ceiling agreed by the World Trade Organisation . In November, the EU raised its...of 1.37m tonnes permitted by the World Trade Organisation . This limit has now been reached...increase in exports, saying that the world is “crying out for sugar China on Monday reiterated rules that most of the screen time in the nation's cinemas be given to domestic films, after it cut short the run of US blockbuster "Avatar".

7. What is the WTO? Originally formed in 1995 the WTO was designed to liberalise world trade. The World Trade Organisation deals with regulation of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating and formalising trade agreements, and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants’ adherence to WTO agreements.

8. Everyone in green = member of WTO Who researched WTO before Xmas as the ‘trade group’?

10. The 10 benefits of WTO The system helps promote peace Disputes are handled constructively Rules make life easier for all Freer trade cuts the costs of living It provides more choice of products and qualities Trade raises incomes Trade stimulates economic growth The basic principles make life more efficient Governments are shielded from lobbying The system encourages good government

11. Recent WTO trade talks

12. So why the protestors?

13. So why the protestors? Battle in Seattle . Battle in Seattle is a film about the 1999 mass protest against the World Trade Organization's (WTO) meeting in Seattle.

14. You tube clips… History http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xp75Egtvi8 Battle in Seattle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF2Le9ccI9E

15. Customs Union V Free Trade? Free trade Where a group of countries agree to trade without barriers between themselves , but maintain their own individual barriers with countries outside the area. Eg NAFTA Customs Unions This goes further than free trade, which eliminates not only barriers to trade between the member countries BUT also to have a common tariff barrier against the rest of the world. Eg The Single Market

16. Go to their website http://www.wto.org/

17. Reading info on WTO http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8237317.stm Recent ‘rulings’ China book’s, DVD’s & films http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/business/2009/12/091222_wto_china_ruling.shtml EU illegal subsidies… http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8237317.stm Guardian has a section dedicated to WTO http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/wto Charity group against WTO http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/wto

18. Homework P476 – 478 Create notes – can be ‘own notes’, poster or news letter style…. What is the WTO? What are the 2 main functions? Provide a balanced view about the criticisms of the role of the WTO.