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Simon Lester

GATT Era Arguments We Are Not Likely To See Today

From the EEC - Import Restrictions case, adopted in 1983: 12. In the view of the European Community, in order to judge the compatibility of these restrictions with the provisions of GATT, it was not enough to limit examination to a purely legal exercise. All restrictions with which the Panel was

Can WTO Membership Be Used as a Bargaining Chip?

Perhaps not very effectively, if the country says they don't want it: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia saw no advantages from WTO membership and should freeze some commitments made during entry talks to the trade body, Interfax news agency reported. "We propose continuing

Taxing Big Engine Cars

I'm sure many of you remember the U.S. - Auto Taxes GATT dispute. There were several U.S. measures at issue, one of which was a "gas guzzler" tax. Car manufacturers were required to pay taxes on their automobiles based on the fuel efficiency, with higher

Carbon Labels

I love labeling as a solution to many trade-environment conflicts. I think it can be done in a way that is consistent with trade rules, and can also have a positive impact on environmental problems. So I was happy to read this piece in the Guardian: Japan is to

More on International Antitrust and Pro Sports Leagues

It's probably clear to regular readers by now that I like sports. I work sports issues into this blog whenever I can find a conceivable connection to IEL. I recently came across two more such issues, both related to international aspects of antitrust, although it has taken me

More on China-Vermont

For those interested in hearing more about the China-Vermont trade issues I mentioned the other day, here are some of the relevant documents: http://www.worldtradelaw.net/chinavermont.pdf They include: a press statement by the Vermont legislator involved; the original letter sent by the Chinese government agency; an

We've Got an Assignment

Over at Trade Diversion, Jonathan Dingel provides an excellent description of the information technology dispute, and then calls on us for guidance: How will the WTO dispute panel evaluate the difference between a LCD monitor and a flat panel TV? Will the panel have to think hard about the meaning

More on EC GSP

Speaking of the EC GSP program, as I was in the last post, the Economist has an article this week in which they discuss Sri Lanka's access to the GSP Plus program. The GSP Plus program requires compliance with various international labor, environmental and human rights standards, and

WTO Consistency of the EC GSP Program

Lukasz Adam Gruszczynski, of the European University Institute, has posted a paper titled "The EC General System of Preferences and International Obligations in the Area of Trade - The Never-Ending Story" on SSRN. From the conclusion: This article argues that a part of the new EC GSP scheme

Were the Doha Talks Actually a Success?

Ed Gresser says: The Geneva talks, therefore, ended in failure -- but one that disguised broadening areas of consensus and growing demands for a speedy conclusion to the talks. At a time of generalized worry -- high energy prices, food spikes, inflation and slowing growth -- this is a rare good omen for