Sign in Subscribe

Simon Lester

Simon Lester

Co-founder of WorldTradeLaw.net and China Trade Monitor. Non-resident fellow at the Baker Institute.

http://simonlester.com

The Trade Section of the GOP 2024 Platform

I'm not sure how important party platforms are, but they probably have at least some relevance. Here's the section of the Republicans' 2024 platform on trade policy, which has been shaped by Trump's protectionist views on trade: CHAPTER FIVE: PROTECT AMERICAN WORKERS AND

The Passing of Frederick Ikenson

My friend and former colleague Dan Ikenson informs me of the sad news of the passing of his father, Frederick Ikenson, who was a long-time Washington, DC-based trade and customs lawyer. Fred practiced in this field for over five decades, so many of this blog's readers

Multiple Permissible Interpretations under Chevron and AD Agreement Article 17.6(ii)

Here's an excerpt from the majority opinion in the recent Loper Bright U.S. Supreme Court decision that puts an end to Chevron deference, in which the majority says that it does not make sense to talk about "permissible" interpretations because there is always a "

The Anti-Neoliberal View of Where Things Went Wrong on China Trade

Farah Stockman of the New York Times recently had a piece about former Biden administration official Jennifer Harris. If I understand their views correctly, Stockman and Harris are part of a group of people who are skeptical of past "neoliberal" policies, whereas I -- as I mention here from

What Would a Second Trump Administration Mean for Tariffs and Trade?

In case you hadn't heard, there is a U.S. presidential debate coming up this week. I'm not expecting an in-depth and wonky policy discussion in general, and trade policy sometimes doesn't even get a mention at these things. Nevertheless, I've

SAIELN’s 4th Biennial Conference: Local Approaches to International Economic Law

This is from the South Asia International Economic Law Network: SAIELN’s 4th Biennial Conference will take place on 16th - 18th December 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Open University of Sri Lanka. An abstract of 500 words should be submitted no later than 30th July 2024.

Getting Ready for the USMCA Review

I noticed that the Canadians had started their preparation for the six year USMCA review and extension decision under Article 34.7, so I wrote a short piece for the Baker Institute about all this. This is the conclusion: The USMCA review and extension process is new and untested, and

Call for Papers: 2024 Roundtable in International Business Law at Brooklyn Law School

Law prof Stratos Pahis sends this along: The Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law at Brooklyn Law School is organizing a Roundtable in International Business Law. The Roundtable will take place on September 27, and proposals are due by June 28. The call is here.

The Biden Administration's Position on ISDS Removal

In April, I mentioned an exchange between Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai on getting rid of ISDS in existing investment treaties/trade agreements. There was a bit of uncertainty about what exactly Tai meant, but now we have some additional context thanks to

Katherine Tai on the ITO Charter

At an Atlantic Council event yesterday, U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai talked about the ITO charter and some policy issues that did not make it into the international economic system at that time: Tai: The original vision for trade in the Bretton Woods institutions went above and beyond the