There have been media reports that EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström, speaking at Davos today, appeared to be confident that the United States would not slap tariffs on imports of European autos on national security grounds. The US is preparing a report on the national security implications of car imports …
Defensive trade policy
Member states greenlight steel safeguards, rice safeguards to proceed
European Union quotas on imports of 26 steel product categories that have been in place provisionally since July will become definitive after member states gave the green light to the move today in Brussels. The European Commission also decided to go ahead with imposing safeguards on Indica rice from Cambodia …
Will commission break limbo on Myanmar and Cambodia rice safeguards?
EU governments are split in the face of proposals by the European Commission to reapply import protections on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar following an import surge from these countries. The two Asian countries, which qualify as least-developed countries, benefit from duty-free imports of rice under the EU’s General System …
Commission to table safeguards on rice imports from Myanmar, Cambodia
The European Commission is mulling safeguard measures against rice from Cambodia and Myanmar, two of Asia’s poorest countries benefiting from the bloc’s Everything-but-Arms trade preferences.
Flash! EU WTO panel request on US Section 232 proceeds
The World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body will establish panels based on complaints filed by China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Norway, and Russia against United States tariffs on steel and aluminium introduced for national security reasons last spring. A Turkish panel request is still pending at the time of writing. …
A Week in Brussels: South Africa, Red II and palm oil, dumping galore
This has been a big transatlantic (here and here) and Brexit (here, here, here and here) week. But it’s also been a big week for other EU trade topics. EU and South Africa reset The EU-South Africa summit got the two sides talking again – not least on all matters trade …
Flash: EU imposes safeguards on 23 steel products
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.
Beyond Brussels: As WTO sounds the alarm about protectionism, new US and Chinese tariffs kick in
US tariffs on Chinese goods kicked in today. So did Chinese duties on US products. Chalk up at least another two trade restrictions that will be added to the World Trade Organization’s next semi-annual listing of barriers erected by Group of 20 economies. Earlier this week, the WTO issued …
EU tears down trade barriers as Russia and China erect them
European companies exported an additional €4.8 billion in goods and services last year thanks to the removal of a record number of trade barriers, the European Commission says. But EU exporters noted a dramatic increase in protectionism in 2017, as trade partners including China, Russia and South Africa created more …
Commission paints bleak picture of EU-US trade relations
A top European Commission trade official painted a bleak picture of transatlantic relations to a European Parliament committee today, saying US import duties on steel and aluminium as well as possible tariffs on foreign cars and car parts are “clearly detrimental” and potentially catastrophic for world trade. The outlook …