EU US steel and aluminium talks reach crunch time The EU and US are still negotiating on a mechanism aimed at phasing out Trump era national security import duties on steel (25%) and aluminium (10%).
Coronavirus response
Week in Brussels : COVID-19 vaccine local content requirement, CAI, Sweden-EU-UK`
It’s been quite the week in trade policy in Brussels, with the transatlantic relationship and global vaccine access a central theme. We had a suspension of tariff escalation plans by the EU to leave room to the United States to somehow phase out their Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs …
European Union to table new counterproposals on trade, health, vaccines at WTO
The European Union wants to be seen as a solutions-provider in the ongoing World Trade Organization’s health-related dealings. This comes after having been caught unawares by a recent decision by the United States to drop its long-held belief in the unassailability of pharmaceutical patents and negotiate a waiver on TRIPS …
Revised EU industrial strategy : fourteen sectors slated to reduce ‘strategic dependencies’
Alongside long-announced new legislation aimed at countering the distortive effects of subsidies of non-EU firms operating in the European Single Market, the Commission is set to unveil a revised industrial strategy in the coming days.
Week in Brussels: Irking like-minded partners on vaccines exports, EU Mercosur stasis, CETA
As everyone in Europe prepares for a second semi-locked down COVID-19 Easter, one must say it hasn’t been the most glorious of trade weeks for the European Union – except for a specific CETA performance.
Flash: EU and UK working on a solution to vaccine export row
In a joint statement circulated by the UK government, the EU and UK have announced that they working on a solution to overcome gripes about real or suspected current and future mutual restrictions on exports of COVID-19 vaccines and related ingredients and inputs. The EU has today amended its temporary …
Vaccine exports: EU suspends export restriction exemptions for neighbours
As announced, the European Commission is tightening up its current export control regime for COVID-19 vaccines. The new rules will apply immediately for a period of six weeks. The EU introduced an export authorisation scheme for COVID-19 vaccines earlier this year amidst shortages, delays and supply bottlenecks of doses deliveries …
Van Brempt report outlines parliament position on vaccine exports, TRIPS, China
The European Parliament is preparing a report on trade policy post COVID-19. The drafting is in the hands of the Belgian S&D group member Kathleen van Brempt and will help define the parliament’s positioning in several trade policy files in the coming months. A first version of the report is …
COVID-19 vaccines: Vite, a CVITA
Instead of engaging in export controls, the world’s large vaccine producers should come together to clinch a ‘Covid-19 Vaccine Investment and Trade Agreement’, write Chad Bown and Thomas Bollyky in a new piece by the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Week in Brussels : MEP UK TCA walkout threat, Vaccine uproar, CETA in Ireland & France
Drift. That’s the best way to describe the week in European Union trade policy. European Parliament threatens EU UK TCA walkout A perpetual crisis over border checks in Northern Ireland is now a possibility, with this week’s UK decision to unilaterally extend a grace period for intra-UK border checks until …
