The United States Trade Representative office released an updated report of a hearing in the US Senate held last June. The report offers little that is new on the US’s view on transatlantic trade relations, however the write-up does includes up-to-date views of the US administration on recent plans in …
North America
EU hopes for veterinary deal with US in 2020-2021
The latest progress report the European Commission released today (25 July) on the state of the bilateral conversation on trade policy with the United States reads like a political and business ‘pitch’ to Washington and European audiences more than anything else. Yet it offers some clues on where the two …
US auto tariff threat: Malmström announces retaliation on €35bn worth of trade
Speaking to the newly-established international trade committee in the European Parliament today (23 July), the EU’s outgoing trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström said the body was ready to retaliate with tariffs against imports from the United States should Washington go ahead with introducing tariffs on EU autos after an end of …
Week in Brussels: Canada and Paris, WTO Appellate Body, Energy Charter Treaty
The Brussels trade world has had a week mainly focused on Canada, climate and energy.
Week in Brussels: A new low in transatlantic trade relations
The week started with a gloomy assessment of the transatlantic tariff threat picture by the trade commissioner and ended with threats of new US tariffs on France, and potentially Britain, following moves in Paris and London to giant digital company profits.
Auto vs steel industry battle intensifies over import safeguard
The European Union is reviewing a safeguard it introduced earlier in 2019 to relieve steel producers from inexpensive imports in a market it feared would be flooded by cheap products in the aftermath of the US’s Section 232 steel import restrictions. The measure pits embattled European steel producers against the …
Long read – Self reliance: the emerging EU trade policy trend in a hostile world
The European Commission no longer seems to trust global norms, fora or rule-making negotiations to uphold its interests in digital, competition, industry and trade policy. In fact many norms hardly exist and won’t likely emerge so quickly. The EU’s executive arm has been rethinking its policy toolkit and is seeking …
EU-US : To European leaders voluntary auto export restrictions are taboo
Today’s trade ministers’ meeting was an opportunity to take stock of ongoing European Union-United States files. The gathering took place more than a week after US president Trump postponed imposing duties of up to 25% on imports of autos by six months. The US president however asked for negotiations to …
Week Ahead in EU Trade: EU elections, EU-US, OECD ministerial, Ukraine
This week will mainly be about the European Union digesting Donald Trump’s decision to postpone slapping tariffs on imported autos for six months to seek a deal with Brussels and Tokyo on restricting imports. EU-US and OECD trade ministerial Trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström reacted quickly on Friday (17 May) on …
Trump orders auto import restriction talks, EU sues against olive duties
On the eve of a deadline to act on a report filed by the Department of Commerce on the national security implications of auto imports and following media reports that the White House would postpone a decision to slap import duties on cars and car parts, Donald Trump released a …
