News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, April 25, 2025
The European Commission has expressed concern over the United States’ Department of Commerce decision to restrict exports of advanced artificial intelligence technology and related semiconductors. A concrete response from Brussels will need to wait, if it materialises at all.
The European Union doesn’t have the right institutions to deal with the crises it has been facing ever since the 2008 financial crisis. Whether it can withstand the next big storm coming with Donald Trump’s second term in the Oval Office remains to be seen. Consistent rule-enforcement and intelligent deal …
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the recently concluded EU Mercosur association agreement is simply that it involves a trade agreement among economic giants. In other words: it’s not the most exciting of trade agreements. There is a lot of novelty, however. But it lies not in the trade concessions …
The four countries of the Mercosur bloc of South America and the European Commission have concluded negotiations in South America on follow-ups to an association agreement initially concluded in 2019 but which was never ratified. Ursula von der Leyen was able to announce the agreement in Montevideo.
Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland concluded an agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability that breaks new ground in the area of services and which bans fossil fuel subsidies. This is a first-in-kind legally binding international trade agreement with a primary focus on pursuing environmental policy objectives. The …
One can’t escape a sense of spookiness on this Halloween week-end in Europe as not least international trade policy professionals wait for the results of the United States presidential elections next week. So much in the direction of travel in this field will depend on its outcomes. The EU …
The European Commission published this afternoon the definitive regulation enacting much-awaited electric vehicle countervailing duties after an investigation launched in October last year into subsidisation of the sector by the Chinese authorities. The duties will come into force as soon as tomorrow (30 October).
The pledge the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU made at the first bilateral summit to work towards an FTA is not insignificant. Getting there, remains, however, a long shot.
The European Commission recently released minutes of bilateral meetings held under the EU Vietnam free trade agreement and the EU Singapore free trade agreements last July. The delayed publication is due to the fact that minutes needed to be agreed by both parties. Here is what these minutes reveal.
Negotiations towards the European Union and India are progressing slowly but steadily at technical level.
