Assumption 1. Post-WTO Trade Agreements Seek to Expand the WTO Agreement Not Undermine the Instrument

In many instances, post-WTO trade agreements articulate an explicit intention to further the principles and commitments laid out in the foundation of the WTO. These agreements are structurally founded upon the pre-existing WTO framework indicating a clear objective to enhance and extend rather than replace or negate the original instrument.

By expressly stating an intent to "build upon" the established rights and obligations of the WTO framework, these regional and bilateral agreements signal a desire to expand the scope of international economic cooperation within the parameters set by the WTO.

Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and the European Union, preamble:

BUILDING upon their respective rights and obligations under the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, done at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994, and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation to which both Parties are a party;

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, preamble:

BUILD on their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization;

This presumption suggests an evolutionary approach to trade regulation. They are intended to complement the WTO agreements by addressing specific needs and gaps that may exist between the member countries involved in the respective agreements. This calculated approach serves to reinforce the foundational trade protocol established by the WTO, ensuring that these supplemental instruments not only maintain WTO's original tenets but also foster a more comprehensive and nuanced system of international trade.