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Member states agree on investment screening legislation in fast-track process

It may become one of the fastest pieces of legislation ever adopted in the European Union. Plans are moving quickly to introduce EU-wide rules for the screening of foreign direct investments. These were introduced in September 2017 in response to calls from France, Germany and Italy to keep an eye …

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Week ahead in EU trade: Council, TPC, Brexit, EU Parliament, Hong Kong

Expect plenty of post-Group of Seven summit articles in the aftermath of the two-day meeting that ended in the escalation of a clash over trade and US President Donald Trump’s refusal to endorse a communique. Closer to home, the focus will be on meetings of the Council, the Trade Policy …

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A Week in Brussels: Polish schadenfreude, rapeseed vs palm oil, trumping ivory trade

The main obsession in Brussels this week has been the EU-US trade spat. All eyes will be on the Group of Seven meeting in Canada.  Mercosur and EU negotiators have been working until the time of writing on narrowing gaps on ‘geographical indications’ protection and Mercosur’s offer on autos (rules of origin …

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Steel and aluminium: Switzerland caught between US tariffs and EU safeguards

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 …

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Week ahead in EU trade: Mercosur, US duties, aluminium, G-7, Brexit, UNCTAD

There’s only one big event on the Brussels trade agenda this week – another negotiating round with Mercosur – but that doesn’t mean the coming days will be quiet. Between the start of US tariffs on European steel and aluminium, the EU’s decision to respond with a World Trade Organization …

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US tariffs: EU launches retaliation process but sticks to trilateral pledges

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 …