This paper discusses the potential implications of the emerging trend towards plurilateral trade agreements for EAC countries. Today the “plurilateral track” is becoming more attractive for several WTO members as a way to advance deeper liberalisation inside or outside the multilateral trading system, as exemplified by recent proposals for an International Services Agreement (ISA) and a potential Sustainable Energy Trade Agreement (SETA). If plurilaterals become a more serious alternative, developing countries need to explore their use in sectors and areas of their interest.
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