So what happens now? Airbus tariffs authorised Today, as expected a World Trade Organization arbitrator authorised the United States to remove concessions offered to the European Union under two WTO treaties amounting to an equivalent of almost US $ 7.5 billion worth of exports. “These countermeasures may take the form …
United States
After Japan: EU last man standing in Washington’s tariff sniping with allies
Has the time for a full-scale trade war between the European Union and the United States now arrived? Clearly the two sides are on the brink of a nasty and damaging process. With the US now largely having achieved its objectives in the sniping war it launched against some of …
Week in Brussels: New York Airbus, Slovakia okays CETA, Korea ILO
This week, EU leaders were out in New York for a UN General Assembly meeting dominated by ‘Greta’, i.e. the climate change issue. The gathering in the Great Apple was also a good opportunity to meet other leaders from across the world. Cecilia Malmströmmet among others with counterparts from Brazil …
In brief: WTO arbitrator report in Airbus case circulated
The arbitrator nominated by the European Union and the United States to determine the amount of trade Washington may impose tariffs on in response to the EU’s non-compliance with a WTO Appellate Body ruling has circulated his report to the parties today. The report still needs validation by the WTO’s …
US reset with EU doesn’t remove auto tariff or Airbus WTO retaliation threat
US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland in meetings with European Commission officials in October 2018. Credit: EC.The United States administration is making significant diplomatic efforts to bring crisis-ridden transatlantic relations onto a better footing. On Tuesday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met nominee to head the European Commission Ursula …
Verbatim: Lighthizer on French, UK, EU digital services tax, Section 301
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 …
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 …
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 …
