News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Thursday, May 8, 2025
EU-Mercosur free trade negotiations gained new momentum during day-and-a-half talks among seven South American ministers and EU negotiators in Brussels. No deal was clinched, but diplomats on the Mercosur side say the ‘endgame’ is within reach. “The talks are going well,” European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström said today. The parties …
We at Borderlex tend to be prudent in making any predictions on final stages of difficult FTA negotiations: situations can be fickle. And it’s still very early to say anything firm about the EU Mercosur negotiations. The talks are in their final stages and the parties have been seeking an …
The measures are part of the EU’s response to US tariffs on steel and a means to avert a flooding of the EU market as a result. Further details here.
The EU and Japan signed their long-awaited economic partnership agreement in Tokyo today. The deal was flanked by announcements that both sides had finalised work to recognise each other’s data privacy regimes – also called ‘adequacy decisions’ – to complement the trade agreement. The moves were well received in policy …
Washington has hit back at five World Trade Organization members for “illegal” tariffs that were imposed on US products in response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply duties on foreign steel and aluminium. The US announcement today that it had filed five complaints targeting the EU, China, Canada, Mexico and …
This is probably a knock-on effect of the United States administration’s recent international policies ranging from Iran to climate change and trade: the EU and China managed for the first time in three years to release a joint statement after their summer annual summit. The 13-page document details areas – …
The EU is stepping up the pace in bringing forward a World Trade Organization reform agenda announced this spring as the crisis over Appellate Body nominations deepens in Geneva and the world entered the turbulent waters of tit-for-tat trade retaliation in the aftermath of the US decision to impose unilateral …
This is a week of summits and negotiations: the EU will start talks with New Zealand, continue discussions with Mercosur and hold high-level meetings with China and Japan (delayed from last week). And toward the end of the week, when the World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement Body meets, we might …
It’s been one of those weeks again. On trade: a round of talks with Indonesia, discussions on Mercosur, packed meetings in the European Parliament, Brexit and transatlantic issues all over. The EU Japan EPA’s signature ceremony was postponed to next Tuesday in Tokyo. Below other highlights. Juncker meeting with Donald …
The European Commission is expected to table its first text on data flows in a bilateral free trade negotiation on Friday. The commission will submit a text to the Indonesian government as part of ongoing trade talks. The move comes even though most EU member states are unhappy with the …
