International economic law and policy blog

Sign in Subscribe

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.

Is Brazil's Pix Payment System an Unfair Trade Practice?

One of the issues in the Section 301 investigation of Brazil's trade practices relates to Pix, an instant payment platform created and managed by the Central Bank of Brazil.

Does the Trump Administration Feel Constrained by U.S. Trade Agreements?

In two separate instances yesterday, I came across questions about whether the Trump administration feels constrained by the USMCA and other trade agreements.

The Trump Administration Is Going After German Pharmaceutical Pricing. Will France Be Next?

Americans pay far more for brand-name drugs than Europeans do. For years that was treated as a domestic health problem. The Trump administration has started treating it as a trade problem.

Once Again, USMCA is No Match for U.S. Protectionism

Failure to Reach a Deal Despite intensive negotiations from August 19-21, 2026, Canada and the United States failed to reach an agreement that would have suspended the 50% tariffs the U.S. threatened a month ago on $20 billion worth of Canadian exports to the U.S. (The list

Follow-Up on the Political Prospects for Removing Trump's Tariffs

Former Biden administration officials Heather Hurlburt and Peter Harrell both offered LinkedIn responses to my post last week about the political prospects for removal of Trump's tariffs by a future president.

Implications of Increasing Mexican Exports of AI Data Servers to the United States

During the past several years, the composition of Mexican exports to the United States has significantly changed. Auto and auto parts exports have decreased because of high Trump administration tariffs designed to shift production for the U.S. market from Mexico (and Canada) to the United States.

Tracking Goods Exports under the Trump Administration's Trade Policies: The Latest Data

Back in May, I posted about how U.S. goods exports were doing under Trump's trade policies. In this post, I'm going to provide an update based on 3 additional months of data, with export data for January - June now covered for the years 2023 - 2026.

Evaluating the New White House “Great Transshipment Scam” Proposals

The critical issue in any U.S. attempts to enforce against transshipment are the definitions and scope.