O papel da potência hegemônica no regime internacional de comércio: uma comparação entre dois momentos

Abstract

The main goal of this research is to understand the extent to which the United States, considered the global hegemonic power, is able to influence the international trade regime. To achieve such goal, a specific time frame, which encompasses two different periods, is established. The first period coincides with the duration of the Uruguay Round of negotiations in the GATT, and the second one begins in 2006 and goes on until the end of 2014. The thesis, however, is not constrained to the analysis of these two periods, since it is considered essential to know the historical background of each one of them. Besides the main objective of the research, some specific goals are also set, such as identifying the main characteristics of the structure of international trade over time, and to analyze the implications of the debate between multilateralism and regionalism, which occurred both in the Uruguay Round and the Doha Round. The theoretical framework used in the thesis is the Theory of Hegemonic Stability, which associates the stability of the international economy to the existence of a hegemonic power. The methodology applied is mainly qualitative, even though quantitative analysis is fundamental to support both the reasoning undertaken throughout the work and some of the findings. In this sense, the dissertation seeks to answer the main questions set out in the text and point some conclusions concerning the topic researched.