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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

Barfield on Export Restrictions

Claude Barfield has some interesting and insightful things to say about export restrictions here. Here's a brief excerpt where he talks about the prospects for WTO disputes in this area: While these policies should be countered through negotiations, I would argue (without getting into the dense WTO legalese)

Another Trade Preferences for Fighting Drugs Case?

USTR announces: U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced that President Bush has directed her to publish in the Federal Register a notice of his proposed action to suspend Bolivia’s designation as a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Andean Trade Promotion and

Bailout Bill Pork

Taxpayers for Common Sense provides details on the pork included in the bailout bill in order to secure its passage, including the following: Sec 502. Provisions related to film and television productionsIn an effort to keep film and television productions in the U.S, they would be eligible for a

Obama's Latest Trade Comments

In a Q & A with the Detroit Free Press, Obama explains that he is for free trade, but he wants the U.S. to do a better job negotiating and he wants labor and environment standards included in trade agreements: Q: You’ve been accused of flip-flopping on

Bananas, Healthy Kids and Trade

EU policies related to bananas have a long history in trade disputes. Is this the next chapter: EU agriculture ministers gave broad political support on Tuesday to a scheme offering millions of schoolchildren free fresh fruit and vegetables from next year as a way to promote healthy eating and tackle

COOL is Here

Country of Original Labeling (COOL) for food is finally here: After years of wrangling, so-called “country of origin labeling” is expected to take effect at the end of the month, requiring most food retailers to disclose where many types of meat, produce and other food products come from. The

Byrd Amendment Update

Ben Muse reports on efforts to revive it: http://benmuse.typepad.com/custom_house/2008/09/is-the-byrd-amendment-coming-back.html The post has lots of good links.

An SSM Solution

Robert Baldwin proposes a solution to the SSM stalemate. As I understand it, he suggests that an increase in imports by itself should not be enough to trigger the safeguard. Rather, you should look at the level of import consumption as well, and only impose the safeguard when import consumption

Reviewing "Battle in Seattle"

From the Washington Post review of the movie "Battle in Seattle": Townsend even opens the film with a narrator's summary of the issues involved (as the protesters see them), and it's an ingenious gambit: It relieves him of the expository task of explaining what

The Spread of Bailouts, Part II

The big auto industry loan package I mentioned the other day seems close to passing in Congress: Key members of the U.S. Congress are confident a provision needed to trigger $25 billion in loans to automakers will become law within days ... I haven't seen the full details,