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Simon Lester

The Biden-Harris USTR Agency Review Team

The Biden-Harris transition team just posted agency review teams here. They describe these teams as follows: Agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and their cabinet to hit the ground

Trade Policy in a Biden Administration: Online Event this Thursday

There are sure to be lots of events coming on trade policy in a Biden administration. I'll be hosting a Cato one on Thursday, November 12, at 12:30 p.m. EST. The link is here. Here is the description: Trade Policy in a Biden Administration: Back to

5th SIEL Conversation - The Impact of Covid-19 on the Belt and Road Initiative

From the SIEL: 5th SIEL Conversation -The Impact of Covid-19 on the Belt and Road Initiative Moderator: Suresh Nanwani, Professor in Practice, Durham University, School of Government and International Affairs Speakers: Date: The event is scheduled for Thursday, 19 November 2020 at the following times, and more information can be

U.S. Trade Policy After Trump: Some Preliminary Thoughts

The past few days have been quite an experience. I hope everyone was able to get a good night's sleep and is on the way to recovery! The election of Joe Biden as president has implications beyond trade policy, but this blog is about trade, so I'

Making Appellate Review Optional

My last post was about how WTO appellate review could be made optional as a temporary solution in order to unblock Appellate Body appointments (i.e., to convince the U.S. to go along with appointing new AB Members). Here's a drafting suggestion for how to put that

A Proposal from Alan Wolff on WTO Dispute Settlement

This is from a recent speech by WTO DDG Alan Wolff: For dispute settlement, agreement will in the end be needed on a single mechanism to which all who seek to litigate would subscribe. Any appellate stage must be accountable to the WTO Members as a whole. There are interim

Webinar: The Roadmap to the ASEAN-EU FTA in the Post-Pandemic Era

Webinar: The Roadmap to the ASEAN-EU FTA in the Post-Pandemic Era Singapore Management University School of Law; 3-4 December 2020 The ASEAN-EU relations represent the world’s most important interregional framework. Rising populist protectionism, stalled WTO negotiations and the COVID-19 pandemic have posed challenges to trade and investment ties between

Call for Papers: Political Legal Theory of International Courts and Tribunals 2021

From PluriCourts: Call for Papers: Political Legal Theory of International Courts and Tribunals 2021. We invite paper proposals for the PluriCourts Annual Workshop on the Political and Legal Theory of International Courts and Tribunals 2021: “The Input and Output Legitimacy of International Courts” to be held via zoom from Oslo,

IAReporter Seeks New Contributors/Analysts

This is from my friend Luke Peterson: Investment Arbitration Reporter is looking for one or more persons to join our team of freelance contributors. IAReporter offers specialized reporting on developments in the field of international investment law. We read and digest legal pleadings and decisions, and we also engage in

More on a Biden U.S. Trade Representative Search

This is from NY Times trade reporter Ana Swanson: For the U.S. trade representative, progressive politicians and trade experts are pushing candidates including Katherine Tai, the chief trade counsel at the House Ways and Means Committee; Michael Wessel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review