Sannoy Das’ forthcoming paper on the “most-favored-nation” (MFN) clause was featured at the 2026 Detlev F. Vagts Roundtable on Transnational Law, part of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law (ASIL).
“Nondiscrimination As Discrimination: The MFN Obligation And International Trade Law” explores the discriminatory history of the most-favored-nation clause and its new reputation as a foundation of non-discriminatory, universalist international trade law, a turn he dubs the “MFN-as-fundamental mythology.” Panelists discussed what these historical findings mean for the future of MFN and its place in trade law.
The roundtable, named for Harvard Law Professor Detlev F. Vagts, was established in 2016 to explore distinct and cutting-edge topics in transnational business and international law. Panelists at this year’s roundtable included Inu Manak, Senior Fellow for International Trade at the Council on Foreign Relations; Henry Gao, Professor of Law at Singapore Management University; Jennifer Hillman, Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Mark Wu, Henry L. Stimson Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.
Sannoy Das is an Assistant Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School. He writes about the history and theory of international law, with a focus on questions of commerce. “Nondiscrimination As Discrimination: The MFN Obligation And International Trade Law” is forthcoming in the American Journal of International Law.
Watch the Eleventh Annual Detlev F. Vagts Roundtable on Transnational Law below or on YouTube.