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Simon Lester

Blaming Lamy

Some people are now blaming Pascal Lamy for the recent failure to conclude the Doha Round: Observers say a big share of the blame for the failure should also be borne by Lamy, for he convened the mini-ministerial when even he was doubtful about its success. I'm

McCain On NAFTA "Harmonization"

More from the WSJ trade discussion between Obama and McCain advisers. Question #4: ... For the McCain camp: Nafta came into effect 14 years ago. What parts aren’t working well? Would you look to remake parts of the pact? ... Philip I. Levy advises the McCain campaign on international trade and

Obama's Views on NAFTA Investment Rules

The WSJ has a nice question and answer / debate on trade issues between leading Obama and McCain advisers. Here's Obama adviser Dan Tarullo's response to a question about what exactly Obama does not like about NAFTA: Question #4: Sen. Obama has said he would renegotiate Nafta.

Trade in Everything: School Teachers

From the Washington Post Magazine: This was the fourth year that the county had hired teachers from the Philippines, an increasingly popular source of manpower for U.S. school systems. In Prince George's, the Filipinos were scattered throughout the county, teaching pre-kindergarten through high school, and all

Thank You For Smoking (Certain Kinds of Cigarettes)

The issue of a ban on clove cigarettes is still lingering. In an article on legislation that would give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco, the NY Times notes: The bill would ban candy, fruit and spice-flavored cigarettes, including clove cigarettes, but menthol cigarettes would be exempt from the

"Sovereignty, Supremacy and Subsidiarity"

As the WTO Members try to make some new international law through the Doha Round, and Congress questions the role of Appellate Body rulings, this new book asks the time timely question "how should the authority to make and interpret international law be allocated among states, international organizations and

What if They Held Trade Talks and Nobody Protested?

From Reuters (via IATP): Some diplomats said the lack of protests also put a damper on the talks, in which ministers are seeking to agree on cuts to politically sensitive farm subsidies and import duties. "It makes me feel less important," joked one official.

The New House Trade Bill on the Role of Precedent

From a new House bill introduced by Congressmen Rangel and Levin (full text here): SEC. 205. ROLE OF WTO APPELLATE BODY RULINGS IN THE WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT SYSTEM. (a) Findings- Congress finds the following: (1) The United States and other members of the World Trade Organization made clear when they

A Ruling in the Kaplan Case: The WTO Gambling Decision is not a Defense

So says a magistrate judge. As you may recall, the defendants invoked the WTO Gambling decision as a defense against their prosecution for various gambling related crimes. Some excerpts from the ruling: As an initial matter, the defendants do not have standing to raise alleged violations of the GATS or

The DLC: More Trade Litigation, Please

In a recent policy report, the Democratic Leadership Committee proposes the following for U.S. trade policy: 3. Revive Trade Enforcement. Many of America’s major trade interests, finally, are already covered by WTO agreements. These include intellectual property rights, subsidies, market access for manufactured goods, and fair treatment for