International economic law and policy blog

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Decision-Making in the Absence of Perfectly Spherical Cows

Last week, I had the distinct honour of participating in the plenary session that launched the WTO World Trade Report for 2026. You can check out the recording. In the week prior, WTO Chief Economist Bob Staiger asked all of us speaking to prepare a quick answer in the final

Assessing the WTO Consistency of 5G Security Legislation: A Case Study of Romania’s Law No. 163/2021

Romania’s Law No. 163/2021, the constitutionality of which is currently being challenged in the Constitutional Court of Romania, offers an instructive case study of a broader and increasingly important question

Interim arrangements for stalled WTO plurilaterals: The role of committees in the administration of disputes

At the Ministerial Conference held in March this year, 67 WTO Members participating in the negotiations for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce (ECA) issued a “Declaration on Interim Arrangements for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce”.

Jake Sullivan Wants To Build On the Biden Administration's Industrial Policy

In a recent article, Jake Sullivan makes the case for continuing on with the Biden administration's economic policies, arguing for an even broader and more comprehensive industrial policy than what we saw under Biden.

The Canada-U.S. Trade War: No End in Sight

I'm not totally sure what triggered the recent escalation in trade conflict between Canada and the U.S. As of June, things seemed to be muddling along well enough, with the focus on whether the USMCA would be renewed for another term and what that might look like for Canada-U.S. trade.

Call for Papers: ANZSIL International Economic Law Interest Group Workshop

From the ANZSIL International Economic Law Interest Group (IELIG): The ANZSIL International Economic Law Interest Group (IELIG) was established in 2011 to provide a forum for those interested in international economic law, especially international regulation of trade, investment, intellectual property, and monetary law. The work of the Interest Group covers

Politicizing AD/CVD in Both Directions

We don't get much reporting on the behind the scenes details of AD/CVD calculations, but Politico had an article recently about how U.S. Commerce Department officials were trying to keep these duties down (yes, down – that's not a typo!)

Colombia Makes the Case for Rethinking Patent Exclusivity (and for Considering Prizes)

In mid-July, Colombia submitted a communication for discussion in the TRIPS Council entitled "A Better Trip: Autonomous Examination TRIPS Prerogatives, and Existing Examples."

The Republican Embrace of Security-Based State Capitalism / Socialism

In the context of a House Committee on Rules discussion on Monday of Republican-sponsored H. Res. 1490 – Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its form, and for other purposes, there was the following exchange between Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI).

Guest Post: Does Economic Coercion Work? Evidence from China’s Import Restrictions on Japanese Seafood

In August 2023, China suspended imports of all Japanese aquatic products following the release of ALPS-treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The measure was widely discussed in Japan as an example of economic coercion.