International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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Simon Lester

AD/CVD and Currency Manipulation

Chris Padilla, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, says that using AD/CVD duties to fight currency manipulation is not a good idea: The Chinese currency has received particular legislative attention. I will leave it to my colleagues at the Treasury to discuss currency policy. Instead, I will address

More Gambling Arbitrations

We've already discussed the DSU Article 22.6 Gambling arbitration. Now it looks like we are headed for a GATS Article XXI arbitration: Antigua has asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to arbitrate in a dispute over gambling with the United States, its lawyer in the case said

New News on the China Financial News Dispute

As mentioned a couple months ago, some countries had expressed concerns that China was placing restrictions on foreign providers of news-related financial information services. Things seem to be heating up. As reported by the AP: The United States has told China to get serious about loosening restrictions on foreign news

Trade in Everything: Live Cattle and "Pregnant Heifers"

Reader Perry Bechky points me to a NAFTA Chapter 11 ruling from a couple days ago, in which the Tribunal rejected an investment claim related to trade restrictions on certain live cattle coming from Canada into the U.S. The basic finding was that the Canadians had no investment in

Trade in Everything: Japanese Food

AFP reports: Japan launched a campaign Tuesday to certify authentic Japanese food overseas, but insisted it was only promoting its cuisine rather than setting up a "sushi police." The effort is led by a non-governmental group of experts set up in July with the blessing of the agriculture

Trade in Everything: Soccer Players

From the AP: Argentine midfielder Marcelo Gallardo signed with D.C. United on Monday, the biggest of five South American additions to the club within the past week. The team also added Peruvian goalkeeper Jose Carvallo and Argentine defender Gonzalo Peralta on Monday as the team held its first preseason

Disguised Protectionism and Brazil - Tyres

Over at Eyes on Trade, Todd Tucker had this to say in reaction to the Brazil - Tyres decision: No one would say that Brazil's enviro policy was the perfect solution to the problem. But many, many environmental policies are that imperfect. Perhaps due to other influences in

Trade in Everything: Medical Tourism

From the NY Times, a report on U.S. men going to Mexico for a controversial medical treatment: PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Some weekends, more than a dozen American men wait at beachfront hotels, anxious for their turns in the treatment room at a small private hospital here. They are medical

Welcome to New Blogger Meredith Lewis

We have a new contributor: Meredith Lewis of Victoria University of Wellington Law Faculty in New Zealand. A big welcome to Meredith!

Obama on Clinton on Trade

The U.S. Presidential campaign is getting somewhat heated on the Democratic side, and the acrimony seems to have spilled into trade policy: On trade [Barack Obama] also criticized her for saying one thing and taking another position when she decided to run for the presidency. “Because only in Washington