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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

Should the WTO Play a Role in Currency Issues?

Director-General Pascal Lamy says no: The World Trade Organization should not take on the job of deciding whether China or any other country is following an appropriate currency policy, the head of the WTO said on Monday. "This is something for the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and I

Reimagining Free Trade (for Free)

Professor Roberto Unger has written "Free Trade Reimagined: The World Division of Labor and the Method of Economics," and it is posted online as a free PDF. From the web description: "Unger takes a new approach to show when international trade is likely to be useful or

Trade Rules and Tax Incentives for Locating Production

The Section 301 petition I mentioned a few weeks ago regarding Canadian subsidies to lure U.S. production of movies and TV shows has been rejected by USTR. The USTR press release says: "Based on a thorough review of the economic data, other facts, and legal arguments set out

No Search For You!

I don't know what China's GATS commitments are in this area, but at least in principle this seems like a national treatment violation if the government was involved: US Internet search engines in China were being hijacked and directed to Chinese-owned Baidu, analysts said Wednesday,

Ron Paul on Trade Agreements

He's not a leading candidate, but Ron Paul does have a devoted group of libertarian followers. His view on trade, as I understand it, is that we should practice free trade, but we don't need trade agreements and international institutions to accomplish this. But this statement

The WTO, Cotton, and Fruits and Vegetables

Recent news reports indicate that the U.S. has lost before the compliance panel in the Cotton dispute. I always found the planting restrictions on fruits and vegetables that became an issue in the case very confusing from a policy perspective (why are we discouraging fruits and vegetables?), but this

Environmental Subsidies and their Trade Effects

My feeling has always been that many alleged trade and the environment conflicts are overblown. But here's a conflict that seems real and problematic: The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) said it plans to submit antidumping trade complaints to the European Union and the World Trade Organization against U.

More on the Gary Kaplan Prosecution and his WTO Defense

Following-up on my earlier post, first, as of a couple weeks ago Gary Kaplan was still in jail, with bail having been denied. Second, how long before they make a Law and Order episode about this case? Third, here is a brief overview of some of the arguments he

A WTO Decision as a Defense in a Domestic Criminal Proceeding

Now this is interesting. I haven't had a chance to digest it fully, but I thought it worth noting for everyone now. I may come back to it once I've had a chance to think about it more. A few months ago, the FBI arrested BETonSPORTS.

Call for Papers: Asian Journal of WTO and International Health Law and Policy

National Taiwan University's Asian Journal of WTO and International Health Law and Policy is calling for papers for its March 2008 issue. Submission deadline is November 20, 2007. More information here: http://www.law.ntu.edu.tw/center/wto/05publications.asp?tb_index=25