It had become abundantly clear that there would be no ad hoc ministerial conference in April this year as originally envisaged by the Energy Charter Treaty ministers last November when a decision to adopt a renegotiated treaty text was postponed.
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Long Read: Chile’s lost trade policy consensus
A country known for being a poster child of free market economics and open trade is questioning its model amidst social disquiet at home and challenging geopolitics abroad. Iana Dreyer shares her insights into the trade policy of a resource-rich South American country with which the EU has upgraded an …
THINK TANK: UK-financed report sends multilateralism message to Brussels
As Europe’s economic security is increasingly threatened by unfair competition, stressed supply chains and the adverse effects of the war in Ukraine, it’s crucial that it balances its goals of economic security and openness to trade and investment by prioritising multilateral and plurilateral solutions. These are the main takeaways presented …
EU seeks digital upgrade for Singapore, Korea free trade agreements
The European Commission is requesting a formal mandate from EU member states to start negotiations to upgrade existing free trade agreements with Korea and Singapore by including legally binding new rules on digital trade.
WTO Corner: Japan-China dispute goes to MPIA, Australia and China settle
The alternative appeals mechanism set up by 25 World Trade Organization members is set to hear a second case brought by two mighty countries: Japan and China.
G7 trade ministers focus on coercion, export controls
Japan hosted an online trade ministers meeting of the Group of Seven countries on Tuesday. The joint communiqué reaffirms the world’s rich-country group’s common positions on a range of trade policy issues, not least their common goals in the World Trade Organization and ahead of its next ministerial conference in …
WTO dispute settlement body formally starts reform conversation
Reform has emerged, like a submarine, to the surface of the World Trade Organization’s turbulent waters as the issue was formally discussed for the first time at today’s monthly meeting of the dispute settlement body.
Think Tank: US-Germany on China, UK environment in trade deals
A selection of interesting recent think tank pieces. CSIS: US should let the Germany work out its approach to China as its domestic debate shifts Lily McElwee Fellow, Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that explains how the debate in Germany surrounding China …
EU, Kenya in final push to implement EPA trade deal bilaterally
The European Union and Kenya are edging closer towards putting an end to a long saga around a region-to-region trade agreement with the East African Community and have a deal just amongst themselves.
Lange: anti-coercion instrument brings institutional innovations, ties member states
That the anti-coercion instrument stretched the limits of the EU’s institutional setup was clear from the moment the regulation was tabled by the European Commission in December 2021. What the three institutions negotiated during the ‘trilogue’ phase of legislation does even more so. They know it and have tried to …
