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Simon Lester

Simon Lester

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

http://simonlester.com

The Conservative View of the Chinese Currency Issue

Well, one conservative view, anyway. There is no doubt a wide variation in views. But here's National Review deputy managing editor Kevin Williamson (taking a view that seems similar to economist Don Boudreaux's): It is undeniable that Beijing plays games with China’s currency in order

The Seal Products Case Under EU Law

Following-up on Colin's post, I have been wondering for quite some time what the arguments were that the EU seal products ban violates EU law. The Canadian seal fur people were kind enough to point me to their pleas here: The applicants put forward three pleas in

Free Trade and Cultural Diversity

Economist Don Boudreaux argues that free trade is about more than just "stuff," it's about cultural diversity: One of the chief concerns expressed by anti-globalization activists is that freer trade leads to worldwide cultural homogeneity. Paris, France, according to this view, will become just like

Donald Trump is a Mercantilist

Speaking of mercantilism, here's something from a Greta Van Susteren interview with Donald Trump: VAN SUSTEREN: ... All right, the economy, the unemployment rate not getting better. If you were advising the president, what would you tell him to do? TRUMP: Obviously the word is "jobs." How

Is Obama a Mercantilist?

Scott Lincicome and Don Boudreaux cite to President Obama's op-ed in the NY Times last week -- titled "Exporting Our Way to Stability" -- and make the case that he is a mercantilist, or at least sounds like one. Here's Scott: As nice as it

Another De Facto Discrimination Case

I love a good de facto discrimination case. Whenever one starts up, I think, "this is the one that's going to clarify all the GATT non-discrimination standards." That hasn't happened yet, but I keep hoping, and here's another case with potential:

Roger Alford on GATT Article XX and Extraterritoriality

Over at Opinio Juris, Roger Alford writes the following on GATT Article XX and extraterritoriality: One of the most significant questions under GATT Article XX is whether States can violate WTO rules in order to protect against foreign harms. It is an issue that has plagued the GATT/WTO for

Trade Rebalancing at the G-20: Numerical Targets vs. Unilateral Trade Liberalization vs. Floating Currencies vs. Fiscal Policies

I'm on a break from jury duty this week-end, so I'll try to put together a couple posts. Apologies if they are a bit jumbled; my mind is cluttered with non-IEL thoughts. First up, the issue of trade "rebalancing." Leading up to

Zeroing: Beyond Dumping?

I thought I'd mention quickly that I might be less active on this blog in the coming days than people have come to expect from me. It's not that I've lost interest, it's that I got picked for a jury. (For the

Monetary Policy and Subsidized Government Loans

It is pretty well accepted, I think, that government loans provide a "benefit" (one component of a subsidy) when they are made at "below market" interest rates. However, given the role of governments in setting interest rates, through the monetary policy implemented by central banks, are