News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Monday, May 5, 2025
Switzerland is caught between a rock and hard place as the trade frictions between the European Union and the United States intensify. The Swiss are also seeking an exemption from planned EU safeguard measures on the metals. Switzerland is a small, open trading nation at the heart of Europe …
The policy machinery in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on EU steel and aluminium is churning as planned. The College of Commissioners approved the final list of products on which it will apply duties on US imports as part of a retaliatory move to counter the metals levies. …
The European Commission regularly sends notices to businesses to help them prepare for Britain’s departure from the EU as part of its so-called Brexit preparedness activities. A technical notice on ‘rules of origin’ released today is bound to send shivers across industries ranging from autos to chemicals. Industries with …
The European Union and the British government have gotten the ball rolling to establish the UK as an independent member of the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement. The GPA is a plurilateral accord inked in the 1990s that sets common rules and enshrines liberalisation commitments among its members …
The EU reacted immediately to the Trump administration’s decision to apply tariffs of 25% and 10% on European steel and aluminium today. The bloc filed a trade complaint against the decision and is initiating a process that will lead to ‘rebalancing’ measures announced several weeks ago. In the meantime, trouble …
Today the EU launched legal proceedings in the against Chinese forced technology tranfsers. More from us soon.
The EU is set to act on pledges it has made over the last few weeks ahead of the imposition of US tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium adopted on national security grounds. “Now that we have clarity, the EU’s response will be proportionate and in …
The EU, the US and Japan agreed a joint action plan aimed at inducing China to cut back its industrial subsidies and to relinquish its restrictive investment and intellectual property policies.
In a speech at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development today, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the United States administration’s trade policy – warning it without naming it that bilateral trade wars resolve none of the problems created by globalisation. Macron pleaded for reform of the multilateral trading system …
The European Parliament wants to enact legislation on the screening of foreign takeovers swiftly, before EU institutions shut down in the early months of next year ahead of European elections. This is why the committee on international trade voted for anticipated inter-institutional – or ‘trilogue’ – negotiations with the Council …
