News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, May 2, 2025
“France is testing the patience of others to limits” said a member state official in Brussels today. The statement captures the mood in Council as Paris is seen as the last country dragging its feet in the process of authorising the European Commission to initiate trade negotiations with the United …
Some trade policy experts have warned that World Trade Organization cases involving national security topics could destroy the institution. A new incident in Geneva shows that at the very least it’s getting rockier by the day for the rules-based system for adjudicating trade disputes. Such warnings were made as the …
The European Union released new recommendations to member states related to strengthening the security of its 5G networks. But will this complicate the EU’s investment negotiations with China further? A lot of this will be mediated by one factor: the United States. The new EU recommendations are part of a …
Another intense trade week lies ahead. The China saga continues China displaced transatlantic relations as the big-ticket item at last week’s European Council. It looks like China could make new headlines again. After dropping by Italy on Saturday, where Chinese president Xi Jinping and Italy’s head of state Sergio Mattarella …
Caution. That’s how one could sum up the decisions taken by European Union heads of government today in Brussels on China and on the United States. Council conclusions released this afternoon largely endorse the policy proposals tabled by the European Commission last week to address concerns over reciprocity in market …
The United States will be an uninvited guest at a coming EU-China summit in April. The meeting will be held in Brussels and is part of a wider European tour by president Xi Jinping, who will also make stops in Rome, Monaco, Paris and Croatia. China principally plans to expand …
Two alpha-males met in Washington yesterday and displayed their mastery of the Art of the Deal. But it’s worth looking at at the fine print of the Brazil-United States understanding reached last night.
This week’s main focus will be on Brexit, EU-US relations, and China. Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, will also be on the agenda. Brexit and FTA rollovers The House of Commons might vote a third time on Britain’s withdrawal agreement with the EU on Tuesday or Wednesday if prime minister Theresa May …
Although they haven’t even started yet, United States-European Union trade talks already face major obstacles. Moving forward is critical to end the ‘tug of war’ between the US and EU. The best way to get there is to take a multifaceted approach aimed at both the transatlantic market and the …
It’s been an eventful week, with the EU coming up with new initiatives vis-a-vis China, the European Parliament voting down the EU’s United States trade strategy, a beef deal with Washington, and negotiations going on with Indonesia and Mercosur to try and achieve a free trade agreement with them. In …
