News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
The US is threatening to levy high auto tariffs on EU firms via the Section 232 national security exception if Brussels does not agree to liberalise agriculture markets, several sources indicated to Borderlex. But how credible is that threat? And if the US gets real on this threat, in what form …
The EU’s safeguard measures on steel, introduced this summer to avoid deflection of pipes, wires and rods following Washington’s decision to impose 25% steel tariffs on national security grounds, is raising hackles with trading partners. Seven World Trade Organization members expressed their grievances in Geneva today against the bloc’s decision …
Next week, Canada will unveil to a group of World Trade Organization members a discussion paper outlining consensus-based solutions that Ottawa says will bolster the global trading system. The problem is that the US – which isn’t part of that group – has already identified major elements of the Canadian …
There were unpleasant noises from US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross and US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland on Wednesday night following Ross’ meeting with EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström in Brussels. Some media outlets called it the end of the trade ‘truce’ with the United States reached last summer. It …
This article was updated on 17 October at 14.05 CET/13.05 GMT. The United States trade representative’s office formally notified Congress of its intention to launch trade negotiations with the EU. The letter is a formality that paves the way for talks following a summit between US President Donald Trump and …
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 …
This week has been heavy on World Trade Organization issues (EU’s WTO reform pitch, services domestic regulation talks, US engagement with WTO reforms), the fallout from the new NAFTA,with bits on what’s happening (not) on Britain’s fabulous post- Brexit trade deals. Member states met in Innsbruck today – and there …
The trade policy of the Trump administration is casting a big shadow over the annual World Trade Organization Public Forum this week in Geneva. Formally, the forum is a harmless exercise in putting together panel discussions aimed at brainstorming about the future of trade and an opportunity for the global …
He’s done it again: US President Donald Trump took credit for clinching a “wonderful” deal with Canada after Washington and Ottawa said they had reworked the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement just weeks after Mexico accepted a revision of the trilateral pact. Sunday’s announcement came six days after Trump finalised …
Donald Trump signed his first major trade deal on Monday, an update to the US pact with Korea that the president called a “very big deal” that is “very, very good for American farmers”. More sober assessments are that the revisions to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement are modest and …
