The European Commission is preparing a new piece of legislation that aims to boost production of next-generation semiconductors in Europe, a European Chips Act: its trade and investment policy dimension will be a spot to watch.
Author: Iana Dreyer
WTO ‘plurilateral’ agreements brace for moment of truth
India and South Africa never liked ‘plurilateral’ agreement negotiations initiated in the World Trade Organization after the Doha ministerial conference twenty years ago. But a series of agreements among a broad subset of members of the global trade institution are coming to fruition. Now the long-simmering disagreement between these two …
EU US Trade and Tech transparency efforts meet cautious welcome from consumer groups
“Lessons of TTIP have been learned,” said Monique Goyens, the director-general of the highly influential EU consumer protection organisation BEUC at an online webinar last Wednesday (13 October 2021).
WTO Corner: USTR Tai sees outcomes on fish and health at MC12
United States trade chief Katherine Tai set out her first fully articulated views on the WTO since taking office last spring at a speech hosted by the Graduate Institute in Geneva on Thursday (14 October 2021). Tai’s speech indicated the United States is committed to achieving agreements on fisheries subsidies …
Birch plywood anti-dumping case: No mercy for small importers and users
To save the profits of seven producers of plywood in two or three European Union countries. Or to preserve or the income – in some cases ensure the survival of – 133 mainly SMEs across 25 countries. This choice was given to the European Commission. And the Commission is expected …
Commission offers industrialists reprieve over aluminium anti-dumping duties
The European Commission carved out a long list of products from a final decision on anti-dumping duties for aluminium flat-rolled products originating in China.
FDI screening: Commission expands scope of covered EU funded projects
The European Commission is broadening the coverage of its two-year-old investment screening regulation to include new EU-funded technological projects. On the face of it, the expansion is relatively modest. But it marks another step in the EU’s shift to taking care of its ‘strategic autonomy’ both in the security and …
Week in Brussels: EU US steel & aluminium, vaccine export control phase out, Australia FTA
EU US steel and aluminium talks reach crunch time The EU and US are still negotiating on a mechanism aimed at phasing out Trump era national security import duties on steel (25%) and aluminium (10%).
WTO Corner : A frustrated DG, constructive joint statement initiatives, supply chain bottlenecks
Hi from Day 3 of the 2021 WTO Public Forum. The twelfth ministerial conference is two months away and many participants are wondering whether the event that might define the fate of the global world trade institution will rise to the challenge. Signals are mixed – at best. While there …
WTO : Services domestic regulation negotiations concluded
The 65 members of the World Trade Organization involved in negotiations on a text that establishes basic ground-rules for states on dealing with foreign services suppliers concluded their negotiations on Tuesday (27 September).
