International Economic Law and Policy Blog

Sign in Subscribe

Charnovitz

Some Initial Thoughts on Discordia Americana

Why Discordia Americana Is a Poor Replacement for Pax Americana Steve Charnovitz 3 February 2025 Over the past 75 years, the US role in Inter-American and world affairs has been largely beneficent and has contributed to a great deal of global peace and prosperity. With a handful of very painful

Why the US Should Respond Honestly to China's WTO Complaint

Because China is acting responsibly to uphold the multilateral trading system and to challenge US illegality in a peaceful way, the US should cooperate by facilitating the rapid response mechanism envisioned in the DSU for the adjudication of trade complaints. Let the panel do its job to call out t

Comments on the Biden Administration's Proposed New Tariffs on Imports from China

Comments on the Biden Administration's Proposed New Tariffs on Imports from China Steve Charnovitz Docket USTR-2024-0007 USTR-2024-0007-00106921 6 June 2024 The proposed United States (US) tariffs modifications noted in the Federal Register on 28 May 2024 undermine both international law and United States-China relations. Therefore, the counterproductive existing

The Role of the WTO in Planetary Sustainability

The Role of the WTO in Planetary Sustainability Steve Charnovitz 6 April 2024 Promoting planetary sustainability is within the legal competence of all multilateral organizations. As a result, no international organization is likely to have an exclusive competence to effectuate any major sustainability goal. A recognition of such overlapping legal

A Veritable Worker-Centered Trade Policy

Comments by Steve Charnovitz Docket Number USTR-2023-0004-0003 (Advancing Inclusive, Worker-Centered Trade Policy) 15 June 2023 National trade policy is used to undertake both industrial and foreign policy objectives. Often those objectives will be in tension. In shaping and rebalancing trade policy, governments may consider the impact of trade policy decisions

Pigs and World Trade

Pigs and World Trade 11 May 2023 The decision by the US Supreme Court today in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross has profound implications for international trade. By validating the constitutionality of PPM-based domestic trade restrictions on what belongs in California stores, the Court has prioritized local government regulations

Toward a More Open ICJ Advisory Process

Toward A More Open ICJ Advisory Process Steve Charnovitz 2 April 2023 In a recent action, the United Nations General Assembly (A/77/L.58) requested an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligation of States in respect of climate change. This is an important

Expanding US Free Trade Agreements in Pursuit of Clean Energy and Trade Justice

Expanding US Free Trade Agreements in Pursuit of Clean Energy and Trade Justice Steve Charnovitz 26 January 2023 In 2022, the United States (US) Congress passed yet another statute (US Public Law 117–169) violating the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO). One provision of that statute has received

(Untitled)

Here is a link to the transcript of my July 2022 Podcast on the optimal components of a worker-centered US trade policy. (Thanks to Torres Trade Law) /content/files/podcast_images/transcript/8528--Episode-8---Worker-Centered-Trade.pdf

Using Trade Strategies to Combat Forced Labor

Using Trade Strategies to Combat Forced Labor Steve Charnovitz 10 August 2022 What is the role of trade strategies in combatting forced labor? As an international lawyer addressing an international problem, I always begin analysis with international strategies. Since forced labor is inherently a labor issue, one should begin with