International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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Simon Lester

Guest Post: The Impending Demise of the WTO Appellate Body: From Centrepiece to Historical Relic?

This is a guest post from Markus Wagner of the University of Wollongong: It is very unlikely that the ongoing G-20 summit will resolve the political dispute between China and the US over their bilateral trade relationship and the dispute over the future direction of the international trading system. But

The Origins of the "Cogent Reasons" Approach to the Precedential Value of Appellate Body Reports

The United States has made it clear that it objects to the Appellate Body's view that a panel must follow a prior Appellate Body interpretation unless the panel has “cogent reasons” for departing from that interpretation. One of the longer U.S. explanations of its position is here.

NAFTA vs. USMCA vs. Something Else

Here is a comment from Ambassador Lighthizer in response to a question from Congressman Panetta at last week's House Ways and Means Committee hearing (starts at 3:23:09), on the choice between NAFTA or USMCA: I think we have clearly made an enormous, probably enormous, improvement in

Congress Asks Lighthizer About the Sunset Clause

I have been suggesting that Congress should clarify its role in the decision required under the USMCA's sunset clause on whether to extend the agreement, and Congressman Steven Horsford came through for me at yesterday's House Ways and Means Committee hearing (starts at 3:37:50)

USTR Lighthizer Comments on NAFTA/USMCA State-State DS Panel Blocking

This is from an exchange between Senator Carper and U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer at a Senate Finance Committee hearing today (starts at 2:03:07): Senator Carper: “My second question revolves around USMCA dispute settlement. The state-to-state dispute settlement system in the new NAFTA continues to allow for panel

Call for Proposals: International Economic Law And Security Interests Conference

From the Amsterdam Center for International Law and the International Economic Law Interest Group of the European Society of International Law: Call for Proposals – International Economic Law and Security Interests – ACIL-ESIL Amsterdam Conference On 14-15 November 2019, the Amsterdam Center for International Law and the International Economic Law Interest Group

Joe Biden on Tariffs and Trump's Trade Strategy

This is from a speech today by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden: America's farmers have been crushed by his tariff war with China. No one knows that better than Iowa. He thinks he's being tough. Well, it's easy to be tough when someone else

Pete Buttigieg on Tariffs and Trump's Trade Strategy

This is from Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg at a recent town hall event: The San Joaquin Valley helps feed not just America, but the world. The products that are grown here are world-class and yet what we’re finding is because of a short-sighted, I can’t even call

Abraham Lincoln on the Tariff

Some of you may have come across this purported quote from Abraham Lincoln before: "I do not know much about the tariff, but I know this much, when we buy manufactured goods abroad, we get the goods and the foreigner gets the money. When we buy the manufactured goods

Guest Post: Linking international trade to climate action and sustainability

This is a guest post from Rafael Leal-Arcas of Queen Mary University of London: London will celebrate in July 2019 the first-ever London climate action week: https://www.e3g.org/news/media-room/mayor-confirms-london-climate-week-in-2019 Linking climate change to international trade has been a topic of academic debate in recent times. In