Description

The trade principles of Western liberal democracies are at the core of international trade law regimes and standards. Are non-Western societies adopting international standards, or are they adapting them to local norms and cultural values? This volume employs the paradigm of selective adaptation to explain the reception of international trade law in the Pacific Rim. Drawing on examples from China, Japan, Thailand, and North America, the contributors show that formal acceptance of international trade standards does not necessarily translate into uniform enforcement and acceptance at the local level. They offer compelling evidence that non-uniform compliance will be a legitimate outcome of the globalization of international trade law.