International outsourcing as a challenge for the world trade system

From the strategic management point of view, the twenty-first century is being widely recognized as the century for outsourcing in the global economy. In the meantime international outsourcing is one of the most dynamic, innovation-driven and complicated processes in modern world. The present paper concentrates on the essence of international outsourcing (tracing its roots in the international division of labour and world economic relations theoretical approaches), reviews its explicit and implicit challenges and finally presents opportunities for regulating international outsourcing. Attention is focused on the following key questions: to what extent does international outsourcing represent a challenge for the world trade system? what contribution does international outsourcing make to economic «strength» in the modern world