Since its formation, the GATT/WTO system has facilitated a worldwide reduction of trade barriers. We return to a founding moment of the regime, the GATT 1947 (GATT47), and look closely at the liberalization process, analyzing exactly what concessions were granted to whom and in return for what. With these data, we evaluate three prominent explanations for the operation of the early GATT. First, we ask whether or not US negotiators granted asymmetric access to the US market to spur post-war recovery. Second, we look at how the rules adopted in GATT47 balanced the interests of import sensitive producers with those of the more nascent exporter interests. Third, we examine specific US concessions and ask whether or not the US used the domestic market to either increase the productive capacity of nations damaged during the war and/or to bolster unstable regimes. Our most general finding is that the US, at least in this first Round of the trade regime, was less a liberal warrior and more a seeker of stability, and that tariff setting was significantly constrained by the institutions governing global tariff negotiations.

自成立以来，GATT/WTO 体系促进了全球贸易壁垒的减少。我们回到该制度的创始时刻，即 GATT 1947 (GATT47)，并仔细研究自由化进程，准确分析哪些让步授予了谁，以及换取了什么。利用这些数据，我们评估了早期关贸总协定运作的三个突出解释。首先，我们询问美国谈判代表是否允许不对称进入美国市场以刺激战后复苏。其次，我们研究 GATT47 中采用的规则如何平衡对进口敏感的生产商的利益与较新的出​​口商的利益。第三，我们研究了美国的具体让步，并询问美国是否利用国内市场来提高在战争中受损的国家的生产能力和/或支持不稳定的政权。我们最普遍的发现是，至少在第一轮贸易体制中，美国与其说是自由斗士，不如说是寻求稳定的人，而且关税设置受到管理全球关税谈判的机构的极大限制。