It’s as if everything absolutely had to happen before everyone goes on holiday: inking a deal with Japan, holding a summit with China that actually delivers on a joint statement, launching a WTO reform initiative, introducing steel safeguards, slapping dumping duties on electric bikes and making progress on Mercosur negotiations. …
A week in Brussels
A Week in Brussels: Trump tariff update, investment screening, Mercosur
It’s been one of those weeks again. On trade: a round of talks with Indonesia, discussions on Mercosur, packed meetings in the European Parliament, Brexit and transatlantic issues all over. The EU Japan EPA’s signature ceremony was postponed to next Tuesday in Tokyo. Below other highlights. Juncker meeting with Donald …
A week in Brussels: Australia, Gattaz, Brexit parachute
The EU is transfixed by the trade war with the United States. This week was comparatively quiet in terms of trade meetings or negotiations – but the next couple of weeks will be packed. This week we’ve written on what World Trade Organization members have been telling the US …
A week in Brussels: CETA, ECJ, Vietnam, Cambodia
It’s been an eventful week in Brussels, culminating with the ongoing European Council – which we will cover separately. The fear of US tariffs on autos, that the multilateral trading system will unravel and China, and frustrations at the slow pace of Brexit negotiations (here and here) have all dominated …
A Week in Brussels: Trade war, Council, Tunisia, Morocco
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 …
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 …
Week in Brussels: Trump, Paris agreement, China
It hasn’t been an easy week for the EU. Just as member state leaders felt they might be nearing a deal with US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross that could spare the EU tariffs on steel and aluminium before a temporary exemption expires next week, the Trump administration initiated an …
Week in EU trade: EU retaliation, Australia and NZ, Mercosur, palm oil
This has been another big week in EU trade. Member states managed to cobble together a joint approach to US President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariff threat. The EU lost two World Trade Organization cases – the big-ticket Airbus case and the more symbolic Pakistan plastic pellets case …
A week in Brussels: Trump shadow
The trade week in Brussels was relatively quiet, with many professionals away due to holidays. The trade policy churn nonetheless continued, with COREPER and the Trade Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday instead of their standard Wednesday, when all institutions closed for Europe Day. Member states examined the Australia and …
A week in Brussels: China, sanctionable TSD chapters, think tanks
Two big countries dominated the agenda on trade in Brussels this week: the United States and China. Both topics are not unrelated. In this regard, a lot happened in the WTO – see Jennifer’s stories here, here and here. Another topic that has kept EU leaders busy is the bloc’s …
