Simon Lester

From the NY Times: Sharply raising the stakes in a dispute over Japan’s detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain, the Chinese government has blocked exports to Japan of a crucial category of minerals used in products like hybrid cars, wind turbines and guided missiles. Chinese customs officials are

First liquor labeling, now salmon labeling (and next up, cigarette labeling).  This is from Jonathan Adler at the Volokh Conspiracy: The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to approve genetically modified salmon for human consumption. Aquabounty Technologies has submitted its “AquAdvantage” salmon, an Atlantic salmon genetically engineered to mature

In the comments, graduate student Kimani Goddard asks: I am interested in the issue of green taxes on long haul travel being instituted by the British Gov't. It will disproportionately affect the Caribbean islands. I would like to ask what do your readers think of what amounts to

From the W$J: Alcohol companies world-wide are lining up to fight a Thai plan to require graphic warning labels about alcohol on the country's domestic and imported beer, wine and liquor bottles. The proposed labels—which would cover 30% of the bottles' surface area—include

Wrapping up the series of posts on GATT Article XX, let me ask this:  Can GATT Article XX be a defense to an Article XXIII:1(b) non-violation claim? The "exception" language in Article XX is pretty broad:  "nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to

More on GATT Article XX from the complainants' oral statement in the China - Exportation of Raw Materials case: 96. China’s export duties and export quotas on these products are not necessary to protect human, animal, or plant life or health. According to China, the production of coke, magnesium

From USTR: China’s Imposition of Antidumping Duties and Countervailing Duties on U.S. Steel Imports Grain-oriented flat-rolled electrical steel (GOES) is used by the power-generating industry in transformers, reactors, and other large electric machines. The two largest U.S. manufacturers of GOES are AK Steel Corporation,

The leaking begins.  From Reuters: An interim report released to the parties on Wednesday backed European complaints over some $17 billion of research contracts from NASA and the Pentagon and approximately $4 billion of tax breaks from Washington state, the source said. The WTO found the aid "actionable"