Fundamental Facets of the United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement: E-Commerce, Dispute Resolution, and Beyond

Part I of this Article discusses e-commerce in the U.S.-Jordan FTA. Part I begins with definitions of basic issues in the e-commerce regime, such as electronic signatures. Thereafter, Part I highlights the ways in which some of the important international regimes have dealt with e-commerce, as in the GATS. Finally, and most importantly, Part I will provide a legal analysis of issues related to e-commerce, which are mentioned in the U.S.-Jordan Joint Statement on E-Commerce, such as privacy.

Due to the fact that the World Trade Organization's ("WTO") dispute settlement system is the dominant one for trade disputes, Part II begins with a description of the WTO's dispute settlement structure. Part II then describes the dispute settlement system in the U.S.-Jordan FTA and examines how the latter overlaps with the WTO's system. Further, it outlines the legal questions that might arise through the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards ("New York Convention").