Autonomous Vehicles and the Infrastructure of the World Trade Law

Publication Name: Future Transportation

Publication Date: 2026-04-01

Volume: 6

Issue: 2

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The development of new technologies, particularly autonomous vehicles, poses significant challenges and opportunities for international trade law. Legal frameworks must adapt to technological shifts while facilitating cross-border commerce. This paper examines the relationship between emerging technologies and the existing infrastructure of world trade law, focusing specifically on how current WTO agreements address technological developments. The analysis employs a legal doctrinal approach, examining the applicability of key WTO agreements to new technologies through the lens of technology-neutral interpretation. Departing from ‘dialectical relationship theory’ (Cottier), the research investigates the influence of new technologies on the legal infrastructure of international trade and how the latter can respond to their use and development. Current WTO frameworks demonstrate technology-neutral applicability to emerging technologies, including autonomous vehicles and related services. However, the paper identifies significant practical limitations arising from the ‘mosaic’ nature of member state commitments and varying levels of liberalization across relevant technology-related sectors. The findings suggest that, while the existing WTO infrastructure theoretically has the capacity to accommodate technological advances, realizing the full benefits of global trade in new technologies may require either the harmonized extension of WTO member-state commitments or the adoption of specific legislation to address current regulatory fragmentation.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/futuretransp6020060

Authors - 1