International economic law and policy blog

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Tracking Exports under Trump: Country Comparisons

In a previous post, I noted that one of the reasons some traditionally pro-trade members of Congress may be supporting Trump's trade policies is because they are hoping these aggressive policies will pry open foreign markets and lead to increased U.S. exports of agricultural and other products.

The IMF vs. Greer on Budget Deficits and Trade Deficits

In a recent piece published on the IMF website, U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer argues that "[t]rade theory must catch up with tariffs, industrial policy, and the costs of globalization." There's a lot to discuss in there, but I'm going to focus

Is State Capitalism Coming to AI?

U.S. government ownership of AI companies would trigger an industrial policy competition, and would be a bad idea in and of itself.

Some Blog Housekeeping Matters: Comments and Emails

A quick note about two blog issues.

Impasse at the WTO on investment facilitation—the way forward

Guest Post by Karl P. Sauvant and Rajesh Aggarwal · At the March 2026 Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), India blocked the adoption of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA), a plurilateral initiative backed by 131 members, including 94 developing countries. India stood alone after South Africa

The Section 301 Forced Labor Import Ban Report

On June 2, 2026, USTR released its report on its Section 301 investigation into acts, policies, and practices of various economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.

What To Expect from the USMCA Review?

The USMCA review is almost upon us. How exactly things will proceed is a bit unclear, as we've never done this sort of thing before, but July 1 is the six year anniversary of the USMCA's entry into force.

China in the World Trading System: A Response to Chad, and Some Comments on Froman-Greer

I'm going to use this post to (1) respond to Chad and (2) comment on an exchange between current U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer and former U.S. Trade Rep. Mike Froman at a recent CFR event.

Guest Post: Whose CBAM is it anyway? Of Default Values and Accreditation

The European Union’s (“EU”) Green Deal dream, the long-awaited Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (“CBAM”) – a carbon-pricing measure covering six industrial sectors – entered its definitive phase of application on January 1, 2026.

My Response To Simon on China in the World Trading System

Here are two quick reactions to the super important question of what explains why countries did not use WTO dispute settlement to push China to change.