International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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Simon Lester

What To Do About High Drug Prices

It's a bit of a risk for me to talk about intellectual property issues, as IP is not my strong suit. But, hey, it's just a blog, so here goes nothing. In an article about John McCain's views on health care policy, the Economist

Trade in Everything: Cuban Golf Resorts

From the WSJ: Now that Fidel Castro has retired, perhaps he can find the time to work on his golf game. ... ... top officials on the island want to turn Mr. Castro's Communist paradise into a hotspot for this decidedly capitalist sport, to generate hard cash for its cash-

Is a Gambling Settlement Finally Coming?

From the Antigua Sun: A settlement proposal due by the end of the month could put an end to the five-year trade battle over Internet gaming between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States. According to Mark Mendel, Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney in its World Trade Organisation (WTO)

Medellin and WTO Decisions

The international law experts at Opinio Juris will have more insightful things to say about today's Medellin decision than I could ever think of, but one issue jumped out at me when I skimmed through it. At page 8, the Court says: No one disputes that the [ICJ&

Thea Lee on NAFTA Chapter 11

I've been intrigued with the brief mentions of investor-state arbitration during the Presidential campaign. Here is something on this subject from Thea Lee, policy director for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO): The NAFTA investment chapter should also be revisited. NAFTA

Is the Gambling Suspension Finally Coming?

Back in December, Antigua won the right to suspend concessions and other obligations against the U.S. in the amount of US$21 million in relation to U.S. restrictions on online gambling. So far, though, Antigua has not taken any action to put the suspension into effect. Antigua'

Wheat Export Restrictions

From the AP: The price of wheat has more than tripled during the past 10 months, making Americans' daily bread — and bagels and pizza and pasta — feel a little like luxury items. ... Earlier this week, representatives of the U.S. baking industry went to Washington to ask the Bush

Some Canadian Support for NAFTA Changes

It looks like there are at least some people in Canada who support the idea of opening up the NAFTA for re-negotiation: The NDP is joining U.S. Democratic presidential hopefuls in their promise to change NAFTA, with Leader Jack Layton telling an American audience today the trade agreement

The End of the A Contrario Argument?

This post concerns the so-called a contrario argument under the SCM Agreement Illustrative List. The issue is a bit technical, so some background may be in order. To give a brief overview, in the Brazil - Aircraft dispute, Brazil made the following argument in relation to the consideration of its

RTAs Conference in St. Louis

In early April, Saint Louis University School of Law will be holding the following conference on Regional Trade Agreements: Saint Louis University Public Law Review and The Center for International and Comparative Law presents: THE CHANGING TIDE OF TRADE: The Social, Political and Environmental Implications of Regional Trade Agreements Friday,