Today’s ‘FAC Trade’, as the meeting of trade ministers in November is called in the jargon, was intense. Here’s a rundown of the main outcomes of a meeting that was mainly about taking stock of many trade files.
Asia
Beyond Brussels: Midterm election outcome won’t change US trade policies, pundits say
This week’s midterm election will probably have little impact on the Trump administration’s trade policies, though the Democrats have a role to play in ratifying the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and oversight of new trade negotiations.
Singapore IPA: Commission tells MEPs cancelling existing bilateral BITs is first priority
MEPs are preparing the ground to ratify the EU-Singapore free trade and investment protection agreements in the hope this can be done early next year. “We have kept waiting our Singaporean friends for quite some time,” David Martin, rapporteur on ASEAN trade, said during today’s trade committee meeting. The original …
MEPs set EU-Japan EPA on track for December ratification
Members of the European Parliament’s international trade committee gave the green light today to the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. The landmark deal is expected to cover a third of global output and is among the most commercially ambitious trade accords in the world. It substantially liberalises trade in goods and …
Flash: Japan, Korea, Singapore, EU US updates
The long Asia-focused trade week in Brussels is finishing late on a Friday with a salvo of new announcements. Here a quick roundup. Juncker-Abe meeting During a bilateral meeting with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo is readying itself to ratify the recently signed EU …
A week in Brussels: ASEM special, trade defence, Brexit
The week is far from over at the time of writing, but it’s still time to send out our regular Friday “Week in Brussels” column, as there is plenty of material already. The EU quarter of Brussels has been in total lockdown for several days as heads of government from …
Vietnam trade and investment deals face uncertain ratification prospects
The European Commission sent the EU-Vietnam free trade and investment agreements to member states and the European Parliament today. So what happens next? And will the trade pact come into force in 2019? It’s clearly not a done deal. In principle, an international agreement is sent to member states only …
Blog: Malmström on human rights, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam
The EU recently initiated steps to remove trade preferences reserved for the world’s poorest countries that were granted to Cambodia and Myanmar. One wonders: is this the right policy course? The policy would lead to the potential laying off of thousands of workers in apparel factories. These have been sprouting …
US WTO ambassador rejects EU ideas on Appellate Body reform
Dennis Shea must have been wearing his dancing shoes when he spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Friday. The US ambassador to the World Trade Organization pirouetted around most of questions that, had they been answered, would have offered some new insights into the …
Week ahead in EU trade: Summitry, Asia, Brexit
This week’s top focus in EU trade policy will be Asia. Brussels is hosting the Asia Europe Meeting on Thursday and Friday. ASEM has a very broad membership and lose structure and is mostly seen as a meeting, mingling and talking shop. But in the era of Trump the gathering …
