News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Monday, May 5, 2025
The stink the United States and other advanced countries have been putting up in recent months at the World Trade Organization appears to be achieving some results. China and other countries have started listening. The behaviour and status of developing countries in the global trading system, industrial subsidies and state …
Tonight’s vote in the British parliament marks a milestone. The United Kingdom now seems on track to leave the European Union with an agreement. The risk of a ‘no deal’ Brexit on Halloween remains. But doesn’t look too likely. With a first positive vote on an Article 50 agreement on …
“Do you think that because people are dealing now with the digital economy, with e-commerce, that tomorrow you will have an agreement? Think again. We’re in for the long term on these things,” said the World Trade Organization’s Director General Roberto Azevêdo during a panel discussion at his organisation’s annual …
It’s been a horrible week for trade aficionados. The US said no to proposed WTO Appellate Body reforms, US tariffs on EU exports are kicking in, and one had to follow the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement negotiations. The final Brexit deal implies customs contortions in Northern Ireland which many policy wonks …
The General Council of the World Trade Organization had an extensive discussion of reform proposals for the institutions’ Appellate Body put together by David Walker, New Zealand’s envoy to the institution in Geneva. The ball is now in the camp of the members to take further decisions in the coming …
Foreign ministers of the European Union agreed to upgrade relationships with the South East Asian country Thailand at a meeting in Luxembourg today. Among others, the upgrage involves resuming trade agreement negotiations. These had begun in 2010 but were halted after the Council asked the European Commission to suspend negotiations …
Airbus, transatlantic This week in European Union trade politics will be dominated yet again by ‘Airbus tariffs’ and the general state of transatlantic trade relations. Today, the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization is set to authorise retaliation by the United States after it won its case against …
Perhaps the many behind-the-scenes meetings held by officials, experts and lawyers on the sides of the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum this week in Geneva will have been worth the time, energy and travel expenses. One cannot exclude some movement in the coming weeks over the organisation’s Appellate Body impasse, …
The impending disappearance of the appeals mechanism for resolving disputes is rattling the World Trade Organization community as some WTO members are now focusing on alternative mechanisms to enable appeals in trade disputes. But perhaps more disturbingly: Are the majority of WTO members in fact quite indifferent to the fate …
Yes, we all know, this was transatlantic week and Airbus week. It was also Phil Hogan week. It was also international trade committee week – with MEPs discussing the US-EU beef quota and the ongoing EU-Australia negotiations. Below other interesting news. Parliament gears up for EU Vietnam FTA and IPA ratification …
