Editorial

Citation

Alramahi, M. (2008), "Editorial", Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, Vol. 7 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/jitlp.2008.41907aaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, Volume 7, Issue 1

With Volume 7, Issue 1, I begin my editorship of the Journal of International Trade Law and Policy. I am delighted to announce the acquisition of the Journal into Emerald’s expanding Business Ethics and Law portfolio.

When I was appointed as editor in December 2007, I faced many challenging issues. Foremost was to ensure the smooth running of the journal and to maintain its high publishing standard and quality. I am very grateful to Professor Loukas Mistelis, who sparked the idea of having the journal published under a commercial publisher. Consequently, I initiated talks with Emerald’s acquisition manager, Rose Dewey, who has delivered fantastic service throughout the various phases of the acquisition process from the journal’s previous home, The Robert Gordon University.

The journal was originally established in 2002 with two issues per year under the editorship of Dr Sarah Christie and from 2005 under the editorship of Ms Angela Adrian. I would like to offer a big thank you to both editors for their stewardship of the journal. It is my job to build on their achievements and ensure the journal goes from strength to strength.

International trade law and policy is a fascinating and fast-moving field. To accommodate more up-to-date contributions and to offer space for the volume of contributions we receive, the journal shall increase to three issues per year starting from 2009. The journal has also changed its front cover to mark both its launch under Emerald and to fit into the existing portfolio.

This issue was originally planned for publication in June 2008. However, the acquisition of the journal has taken slightly longer than planned. I apologise to our readership for the lengthy delay in publishing this first issue of Volume 7 but I hope that you find it an enjoyable read.

Five article contributions and three book reviews mark this first issue of 2008. Firstly, Dr Rafael Leal-Arcas of Queen Mary, University of London (UK) considers the potential of partnerships of the European Union with two of the so-called BRIC countries, Brazil and India. Then Dr Chin Yau Laurence Yuen of Fudan University (China) analyses the development of the Northeast economy in China. Dr Katarzyna Karasiewicz from the University of Warsaw (Poland) is next. Her paper is concerned with the country of origin principle application in relation to e-commerce. After that we turn to Z. Ntozintle Jobodwana from the University of South Africa (South Africa) who considers the theme participation of African states in the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement mechanism. Dr Alina Mihaela Dima, Radu Musetescu, and Dr Cristian Paun from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest (Romania) then examine the conflicts between the competition and trade policies and make some suggestions to support the logical conclusion that these two fields cannot be separated.

Corina Filipescu of University of Birmingham (UK) reviews Global Rice and Agricultural Trade Liberalisation: Poverty and Welfare Implications for South Asia. Then Professor Mosleh Ahmad At’tarawneh from Mu’tah University (Jordan) reviews Developing Countries and the WTO: Policy Approaches. The final book review is by Dr Paul Arnell, from Robert Gordon University (UK) who reviews Redefining Sovereignty in International Economic Law (Studies in International Trade Law).

The mix of papers and book reviews in this issue is a fascinating one and I thank all the contributors for their efforts.

As a young and growing journal, we are capable of thinking and acting differently. Should any of you have an interesting idea for a special issue, or a provocative idea that needs a venue, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail. I am willing to consider just about anything for publication as long as it is carefully reasoned and interesting.

To increase the international reach of the journal I have invited a number of eminent scholars from around the globe to join the editorial board. I would like to welcome and to thank the new and existing members for kindly accepting the invitation to serve as board members – Welcome aboard colleagues! I hope you enjoy your time and experience serving on the journal board. I would also like to extend my thanks to the journal’s publisher, Adam Smith, for the excellent job he is delivering to ensure the smooth running and promotion of the journal.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all the manuscript reviewers that have volunteered their time and energy over the past year. In the future, I intend to publish an annual list of names as a way of thanking our referees for their contribution to our success.

It is my hope that we, the readers, contributors, and editors of the Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, can work together to add a little more colour, variation, and inspiration to the world of international trade law and policy.

Moe Alramahi