International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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Simon Lester

Talking Trade Policy on Clubhouse and Twitter

You may have heard about the "drop in audio" craze going on right now. The Clubhouse app was the first, and Twitter got in on the action with Spaces. The basic idea is that it's sort of like a call-in radio show, with a couple hosts

Call for abstracts: PluriCourts Research Conference on Compliance Mechanisms

This is from PluriCourts: PluriCourts issues this call for abstracts on the topic of “International Courts versus Compliance Mechanisms: Comparative advantages of non-compliance mechanisms and complaint procedures.” In this project, we ask: Contributions will be published in an edited volume by Cambridge University Press (tbc) or a special edition of

Alan Wolff on the Appellate Body Crisis

The always insightful Alan Wolff was talking about The Future of the WTO at the Peterson Institute today. The whole thing is worth a listen, but I wanted to highlight his response to my question on the Appellate Body crisis during the Q & A: Adam Posen: Simon Lester asks,

Katherine Tai's Responses on Phase One, Section 301, and Lumber/Steel/Solar Panel Tariffs

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testified today at a Senate hearing on "Funding Priorities of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative." In this context, she answered some substantive trade policy questions. Here are a few of her responses: China Phase One Enforcement Senator Moran: Ambassador,

The AfCFTA Secretariat Is Hiring

Over the last four years, U.S. trade policy has kept me so busy that I've missed some important developments around the world, such as the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. I see from my friend Petina Gappah that the AfCFTA Secretariat is now hiring:

Webinar on Institutionalising Global Challenges: A Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council

From City Law School in London (Thursday, 29 April 2021, 17:00 – 18:30, register here): The EU’s proposed EU-US Joint Agenda for Global Change includes a Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council, proposing a loose institutionalisation of key global challenges currently not well covered or dealt with by, for

Remembering Miguel Rodríguez Mendoza

We are sad to report that Miguel Rodríguez Mendoza has passed away. Jorge Castro of the WTO prepared the following note of remembrance: Miguel Rodríguez Mendoza (Cumaná, Venezuela, 28 March 1948 – Geneva, Switzerland, 25 April 2021) Miguel Rodríguez had a distinguished career in international trade. He was Venezuela's

Where Will Biden's USTR Trade Policy Team Take U.S. Trade Policy?

Over the past few days, we have had some new announcements about staffing at USTR, and the Biden administration trade policy team is almost complete now. There are still the important Deputy USTR in Geneva and Chief Agriculture Negotiator positions to fill (as well as some other USTR and possibly

Tim Meyer Responds on Exceptions and "Mixed Motives"

This is a response from Tim Meyer to my post on his new article Many thanks to Simon for his thoughtful take on my new article, A Political Theory of Legal Exceptions, as well as the opportunity to respond. Simon and I do agree on a lot. Most notably, we

Tim Meyer on Exceptions and "Mixed Motives"

My friend Tim Meyer has a new paper entitled "A Political Theory of Legal Exceptions." Back before the pandemic, Tim and I and a few others submitted a proposal for a SIEL 2020 panel entitled "Making Space for Public Policy in International Economic Law Agreements: The Role