International economic law and policy blog

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Pressuring China on Subsidies vs. Pressuring China on Consumption

If I understand their views correctly, some of the more hawkish voices on China's economic practices see a link between the Chinese government's high level of industrial subsidies, on the one hand, and the low level of consumption by Chinese citizens, on the other.

Would Public Ownership Push Us Towards AI Sovereignty? And Will We Ever Get Sensible AI Regulation?

Todd Tucker, my long-time sparring partner on international economic policy issues, has a new piece with his colleague Elizabeth Wilkins called "How Public Equity Can Promote a Revived American Democracy."

Guest Post: Make the Forced Labor 301 Tariffs a Win for Workers

“I had to store my friend’s dead body in the freezer.” A fisher shared this with me and my colleagues at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) through an interpreter.

Questions for Japan About Its Trade/Investment Deals with the Trump Administration

One of the many useful things that happens at the WTO is the Trade Policy Reviews carried out for each WTO Member, and Japan's latest review includes some questions/answers on the framework trade agreement with the Trump administration.

Where To Focus With the Issue of Trade Imbalances: Exchange Rates vs. Domestic Economic Policies

The Economist has a piece by a group of economists on trade imbalances, explaining that there is too much focus on the undervalued yuan. In my view, lots of people are getting things on wrong on trade imbalances, and it's nice to see these folks getting things right.

Can Brazil's WTO Complaint on the Section 301 Tariffs Avoid Being Undermined by an "Appeal into the Void"?

Amidst the flurry of recent tariff news was a USTR notice of action earlier this month in the Section 301 investigation of Brazil’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Digital Trade and Electronic Payment Services; Unfair, Preferential Tariffs; Anti-Corruption Enforcement; Intellectual Property Protection; Ethanol Market Access; and Illegal

Immigration Penalties for Foreign Government Officials Engaging in "Economic Discrimination"

Recently introduced legislation from Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) seeks to penalize "foreign officials who weaponize the government to discriminate against American companies" by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act "to make foreign government officials who engage in economic discrimination against U.S. persons inadmissible to, and

Guest Post: Preliminary Thoughts on the European Commission Proposal for the Cybersecurity Act 2.0

This is a guest post by Peter Van den Bossche [1] Chair Professor of International Economic Law, Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Law; former Member and Chair of the WTO Appellate Body; Professor Emeritus of International Economic Law, World Trade Institute, University of Bern; and external legal advisor, King

The Meaning of "Discrimination" in Section 338's Predecessor (Section 317 of the Tariff Act of 1922)

In my post on the Trump administration's invocation of Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 last week to impose tariffs on certain Canadian imports, I offered some quick thoughts on how broadly "discrimination" in that provision of the statute might be interpreted and applied.

Will There Be Further Adjustments to the Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs If Forced Labor Laws Improve?

On Thursday, USTR announced its final tariff rates in the Section 301 investigation on forced labor imports. There are a wide range of ideas for how to challenge these tariffs in court, with some ideas broader than others. One broad approach would be to argue that these tariffs are just