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Since 1960 national governments have increasingly found themselves in international trade disputes. Yet little research has attempted to analyze this important form of conflict comparatively. Here four general hypotheses are proposed for explaining variations in bilateral conflict outcomes, and a technique for comparing outcomes is devised. A study of one bilateral North-South relationship, that of South Korea and the US, shows that 13 significant commercial disputes occurred between 1960 and 1981, spanning three industrial sectors. The outcomes varied in the degree to which each government achieved its initial objectives. The pattern of variations is explained by the interstate power structure, the domestic distribution of power among industries in the US, the international bargaining process, and to some extent by sectoral market conditions. Conclusions are based on interviews conducted in Seoul, Hong …