Simon Lester

Canadian trade politics has a very different focus than U.S. trade politics does: The strongest opposition to including issues such as gender equality in discussions over the North American Free Trade Agreement has come not from the United States but from within Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.

This is from Politico: European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker aims to solve one of the greatest weaknesses of EU trade policy by proposing fast-track ratification of trade deals that would eliminate the need for approval by some 40 parliaments across Europe. ... Building on the momentum of a landmark deal with

The U.S. wants to "eliminate" NAFTA Chapter 19; Canada and Mexico want to keep it. It's hard to find a compromise between these two positions, but I gave it a shot with this proposal: Regardless of whether Chapter 19 was justified initially, a long time

Chantal Thomas asked that I post the following: Conference Announcement -- This Week at Boston University-- "Trade Law in the Trump Era: A Transatlantic Perspective" If you happen to be in the Boston area or otherwise available, please join this upcoming conference at Boston University School of Law.

The Canadian government is looking for Canadians and non-Canadians to be on their international trade and investment dispute rosters (application details at the link): We know that our country is stronger — and our government more effective — when decision-makers reflect Canada's diversity. The Government of Canada will use an

This is from yesterday's Brazil - Taxation panel report: 7.565. In reviewing the arguments and evidence submitted by Brazil, the Panel considers that Brazil has demonstrated that there is a problem of a "digital divide" in Brazil, and that the problem of the digital divide

This is from the U.S. statement at today's DSB meeting: 7. APPOINTMENT OF APPELLATE BODY MEMBERS: PROPOSAL BY THE EUROPEAN UNION (WT/DSB/W/597/REV.3) Second Intervention The U.S. seems to be saying that it will not work towards filling any Appellate Body vacancies

This is from Inside US Trade: U.S. negotiators are considering a new approach to the controversial investor-state dispute settlement mechanism featuring an opt-in clause that would allow each of the three NAFTA countries to decide whether to use the provision, sources told Inside U.S. Trade. Does that mean

This is from Inside US Trade: U.S. NAFTA negotiators are expected to push a proposal backed by Florida-based producers that would allow seasonal growers to qualify as the domestic industry in trade remedy cases despite not representing 51 percent of the U.S. industry. According to several sources, the

This is from a Presidential Memorandum issued by President Trump today, directing the U.S. Trade Representative to determine "whether to investigate any of China's laws, policies, practices, or actions that may be unreasonable or discriminatory and that may be harming American intellectual property rights, innovation, or