News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
The calendar is a bit thin this week, though some news could come out of the two-day European Council meeting about WTO reform and Brexit. And it’s anyone’s guess what we might expect from the US and its unpredictable leader after China’s central bank said yesterday that it would unlock …
It’s been a packed week in Brussels on trade. The EU formally launched trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. Trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström engaged in a real joyful tweetfest as she travelled Down Under. We interviewed the Australian ambassador to the EU (in case you missed it). The …
Relations between the US and many of its trade partners were bad enough that there was really no need to add fuel on the fire by tossing out fresh incendiary comments. But that’s just what US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross did yesterday by calling for an even “more painful” environment …
After the European Commission and member states agreed this spring to accelerate the pace of internal procedures to get the EU-Japan and EU-Singapore free trade agreements ratified, the Vietnam pact concluded in 2015 was largely seen as set aside. But there’s movement to try to approve the deal before European …
A top European Commission trade official painted a bleak picture of transatlantic relations to a European Parliament committee today, saying US import duties on steel and aluminium as well as possible tariffs on foreign cars and car parts are “clearly detrimental” and potentially catastrophic for world trade. The outlook …
The EU is launching bilateral trade agreement negotiations with Australia. In an interview with Borderlex’s Iana Dreyer, Australian Ambassador to the EU Justin Brown shares his views on the crisis of the multilateral system, the solutions Australia and the EU could offer, and the tough nuts that need cracking to …
If the EU wants to avoid losing a potential World Trade Organization dispute following its decision to phase out palm and soybean oil-based biofuels, it will need to prove its environmenal criteria are objective. For political reasons, that will be difficult, as this might involve displeasing EU rapeseed and sunflower …
This week promises to be busy, with the European Parliament’s trade committee debating a range of issues including EU ties with the US and Latin America, the launch of trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, and the start of the bloc’s tariffs against US goods to strike back at …
So far, six World Trade Organization members have lodged complaints challenging President Donald Trump’s assertion that tariffs on steel and aluminium are needed to protect US national security. They are broadly similar, but hardly identical, and some of the differences are quite noteworthy. More members have ganged together in …
The future of the landmark EU-Canada free trade agreement CETA was thrown into doubt as Italy’s agriculture minister said his country would not ratify the accord because it didn’t sufficiently protect the names of certain Italian cheeses. The geographical indications chapter of the deal was contentious both with Canada …
