ABSTRACT
Transregional protest campaigns represent a countermovement to neo-liberal globalization and an increasing concentration of power in the hands of multinational corporations, who more and more define the conditions under which trade takes place. The main intention behind the establishment of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) is to provide a facilitation of trade and investment flows, and hence, to bring about stimulating effects on the economy. As multilateral trade rounds decelerated noticeably since the 1990s, World Trade Organization member states also subsequently decided to make use of regional arrangements to safeguard against possible failures of trade rounds as well as to push for trade liberalization at a faster and broader pace. While many economists, government officials, and representatives of the institutions governing global trade seem to operate on the assumption that the liberalization of trade contributes to economic growth that benefits everyone, the alter-globalization and the anti-PTA movement are challenging this assumption.
