Why has Brazil traditionally adopted a defensive position in multilateral negotiations on trade in services? Three explanatory factors are typically used for understanding the domestic determinants of economic diplomacy: interests, institutions, and ideas. In this study, I assess the role of these variables in determining the Brazilian stance in the negotiations on trade in services in the Uruguay Round. I use archival evidence and interviews in a case study designed to recover the country's negotiating position throughout the round of negotiations, identify the preferences of relevant government and private actors, and reveal the mechanisms and loci of government-business interaction.
trade diplomacy; GATT; Uruguay Round; services