Simon Lester

This is from the White House Blog: As Ambassadors, we are on the front lines representing the United States. We know firsthand that U.S. interests are best served when we pursue policies that also advance our values. That’s why trade policy is among our most promising tools. Done

I'm puzzled by this: One of the largest companies to manufacture solar panels in the United States uses a surprising resource to keep costs low and compete against producers from China: prison labor. Suniva Inc, a Georgia-based solar cell and panel maker that is backed by Goldman

First there's this: The [Indonesian] government will soon ban sales of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) nationwide amid growing concerns over the product’s negative impact on people’s health. Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said on Monday that sales of e-cigarettes would be banned in line with the

From the ASIL/ESIL/Max Planck: The International Economic Law Interest Groups of the American and European Societies of International Law together with the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law are pleased to announce a joint 2015 Works-in-Progress Workshop on: The Future of Transatlantic

From the Economist: HUMAN hands are extremely good at making clothes. While many manufacturing processes have been automated, stitching together garments remains a job for millions of people around the world. As with most labour-intensive tasks, much of the work has migrated to low-wage countries, especially in Asia.

From PluriCourts The Present and Future Role of Investment Treaty Arbitration in Adjudicating Environmental Disputes (Oslo, 5-6 November 2015) – Call for Papers, Deadline: 15 July 2015. The interaction between international investment law and (inter)national environmental law has been of interest to scholars and practitioners for quite some time.

I'm not sure what to make of their changing views, but here's what they said: "First, now we have restricted resources and we would like to send them to the direct trade interest of Ukraine. Second, economic logic is absent in this dispute, and third,

This time on TISA.  I thought Edward Alden of CFR had a good take: I love Wikileaks. While I recognize that secrecy has its place, I strongly believe that the affairs of the people should, to the greatest extent possible, be conducted with the full knowledge of the people. Secrecy

Under the TBT Agreement Article 2.2 claim in the WTO plain packaging dispute, one issue will be whether there are alternative anti-smoking measures that could achieve the same purpose. As the Appellate Body put it in the recent COOL Article 21.5 report: 5.199. A complainant may

This is from the Chair of the DS434 Plain Packaging WTO panel: On 28 May 2015, the Panel received a request from Ukraine to suspend the proceedings in Australia – Certain Measures concerning Trademarks and other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging (WT/DS434) pursuant to Article 12.