It’s almost impossible to see a negative opinion across Europe’s business community on the European Parliament’s vote in favour of CETA on Wednesday (15 February 2017). Even a big chunk of the free trade agreement-sceptic European farming and food sector is looking forward to trading under the pact’s new rules. United States observers, for …
United States
Responding to Trump: Top EU think tank suggests EU adopt own border adjustment tax
The EU should respond in kind to US plans to introduce discriminatory tax on corporations, argues a scholar at the highly respected economics think tank Bruegel in Brussels. The US government is introducing widely discussed tax reforms that would involve a discriminatory border tax adjustment, or ‘destination tax’. US tax …
Rising calls in EU for new trade initiatives in face of Trump trade moves
Tensions between the US administration and EU leaders are on the rise, as the US appears to attack in particular Germany on the trade front. Governments in the capitals and EU leaders have started responding. President Trump’s chief trade adviser Peter Navarro accused Germany of currency exploitation, the Financial …
In brief: US and EU agree on pharma deal – WTO TRIPs waiver for pharmaceuticals comes into force
The EU and US have finalised an agreement among regulators today that mutually recognises each party’s ‘good manufacturing practices’ for pharmaceuticals. Pharma was also source of news from Geneva today. The EU-US agreement, initially part of the regulatory package of the now dormant Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement is an update to a …
EU, US say TTIP can be concluded conditional on “political will”
“The progress we have achieved so far gives us confidence that, with continued engagement by both sides, and with the political will to prioritize long-term gains for our economies and our broader relationship, the United States and the EU could achieve what we set out to do in 2013: conclude …
Transatlantic : EU and US make last trade gestures before Obama administration folds
An era of uncertainty opens in transatlantic relations, as in exactly one week President Obama (20 January 2017) will hand over the reins of power to Donald Trump. The US administration will focus on settling into working mode and not enter major trade negotiations for several months at least. US trade policy is also expected …
Data, labour mobility and innovation at heart of TABC concerns over Brexit
The Trans-Atlantic Business Council has released its member’s views on what they want to see preserved once the United Kingdom leaves the EU, a process which is expected to start in the spring 2017. The business group highlights issues related to the knowledge economy: labour mobility, data, and research and innovation. …
What a Trump presidency could mean for trade policy and the EU – two expert views
We still don’t know exactly what the next US president, Donald Trump, will do on trade policy. Mr Trump has campaigned on a highly protectionist and trade-sceptic platform. He has vowed to raise substantial tariffs on imports from Mexico and from China. He even suggested he might want to pull …
In brief: Fresh insights into TTIP state of play
The Commission has published the list of documents related to the TTIP negotiations that it has circulated to the member states and the European Parliament. The move came ahead of a visit by trade commissioner Malmström to Washington on Monday to take stock of TTIP as these are expected to go into …
In brief: Obama and Merkel on TTIP
Still talking about TTIP? Well TTIP, the controversial transatlatantic trade agreement launched in 2013 is not for now. With Donald Trump just elected as US president, the Obama administration winding down and the French and Germans bracing for difficult elections next year. Yet the two most powerful players in the TTIP game …
