News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Friday, May 2, 2025
The European Union is preparing to impose a significant new package of trade sanctions against Russia following recent revelations of war crimes perpetrated by its army in areas where it had retreated in Ukraine in order to redeploy its forces to the east of the country.
The G7 group of countries vowed to deny Russia the benefits of most-favoured nation treatment it currently enjoys in the World Trade Organization. This move could be followed by further announcements by other WTO members in the coming days and weeks.
Russia is pushing back against the sweeping economic sanctions imposed on it by Western nations and some of their allies in the Asia-Pacific following its military attack on Ukraine. This is already having a chilling effect on further ambitions in Brussels to target Russia’s economic interests. Moscow is also piqued …
The European Union’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization João Aguiar Machado confirmed that Brussels was preparing to unilaterally rescind Russia’s most-favoured-nation rights enjoyed as part of its membership of the global institution.
Amidst all the shattering economic and financial sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has not imposed restrictions on imports of Russian goods so far. But neighbouring Belarus is probably about to see a de facto embargo on all its headline exports to the EU. …
The coming hours will be critical in defining how the European Union will react to Russia’s ruthless and bloody attack on Ukraine. At the time of writing this article, Thursday late evening, it is becoming clear that as heads of state gather in Brussels, the announced economic and financial sanctions …
To save the profits of seven producers of plywood in two or three European Union countries. Or to preserve or the income – in some cases ensure the survival of – 133 mainly SMEs across 25 countries. This choice was given to the European Commission. And the Commission is expected …
It’s been a slow start after Easter, but the trade policy machinery in Brussels is gradually getting back into gear. Turkey Only a few weeks into calmer waters a new storm broke out in the EU-Turkey relationship. While the news is about about protocol matters and Sofa Gate, one of …
It’s been a long journey for Uzbekistan. The Central Asian country remains one of the world’s most closed and politically repressive countries, but it embarked on a new journey in 2016 after the passing away of Islam Karimov, a particularly cruel dictator. The five-year reform process might lead the country …
With input from Sarah Anne Aarup. This week we saw an EU-China summit deliver some progress on the lengthy path towards a bilateral investment agreement. It also revealed that rules-based international trade is Chefsache in the Commission, with president von der Leyen dwelling extensively on the matter in her State …
