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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

Harry Reid on "Protectionism"

Many of this blog's readers are probably aware that I'm a bit obsessed with the word "protectionism." Here's another post where I parse the meaning. This time it's based on some things Harry Reid said in relation to the G-

And the Nominees Are ...

There are two Appellate Body positions coming open in the next year. Reuters reports on the nominees: Hector Torres (Argentina) - former representative at the International Monetary Fund. Ellen Gracie Northfleet (Brazil) - supreme court judge. Ronald Saborio Soto (Costa Rica) - long-serving WTO ambassador. Peter Van den Bossche (EU - Belgium) - professor

The Trucking Dispute: Not Just About Trade Anymore

The Trucking Dispute is now a NAFTA Chapter 11 investment dispute as well: After nearly two years of resisting the opening of the U.S.-Mexico border to long-haul trucking operations, the Mexican motor carrier association now is taking the U.S. to “NAFTA court.” Canacar filed a Notice

Perry Bechky on the G20 and Soft Law

A guest post from blog reader Perry Bechky: Where does the trade language in the two G20 summit declarations fall on the famous soft-to-hard spectrum in international law? The November declaration says, “[W]ithin the next twelve months, we will refrain from raising new barriers to investment or

Cap and Trade: Coming Soon in the U.S.?

Via Ben Muse, I see this Reuters summary of the trade aspects of the U.S. House draft carbon legislation: INDUSTRY REBATES/TRADE Authorizes U.S. companies in industries that use a lot of energy to receive "rebates" to compensate for additional costs of cap and trade. If

The Impact of Labor Restrictions on Free Trade in Goods

I have been thinking a bit more about the Don Boudreaux post I quoted from recently. I take his point to be that free trade within nations (e.g., within the U.S.) is generally accepted as having economic benefits, so critics of free trade between nations (e.g., WTO

Trade versus the Environment: Shipping Pollution

The EPA is proposing regulations to control emissions from large ships: The United States took a critical step towards protecting Americans from harmful ship emissions by becoming the first country to ask the International Maritime Organization to create an emissions control area (ECA) around the nation’s coastline, the EPA

USTR's NTE Report is Out

Here's the full report. Here's a brief summary by USTR: Kirk said today that the report will help to inform an enforcement strategy for the trade policy of the United States, and that USTR is moving forward as follows: - USTR is beginning a review of the

Trade in Everything: Haircuts

More trade in everything, via Greg Mankiw: The financial crisis has hit Eastern Europe particularly hard, leading to strong depreciation pressure on exchange rates. As a result, traditional non-tradable goods have suddenly become tradable. The Polish village of Osinow Dolny at the Polish-German border has approx. 200 inhabitants,

Trade in Everything: Surrogacy

Seema Sapra's excellent "India in the WTO" blog points me to this Journal of World Trade article that makes for a good "trade in everything" post: Christina Stephenson, 'Reproductive Outsourcing to India: WTO Obligations in the Absence of US National Legislation' (2009)