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Tiptoeing into the Polycene:[1] Launch of the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade

On November 7, during the Belém Climate Summit, President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil launched the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT).  The IFCCT is a recognition of the need to integrate trade policy and climate policy.  It is a “space for dialog” intended to “bring
Joel Trachtman 26 Nov 2025 2 min read

Guest Post: The Case for Bringing Economic Security Priorities into U.S. Trade Agreements, Part I

Thanks to Simon for kickstarting a debate on the prospect of bringing economic security provisions into trade agreements, and for allowing me to respond here.
Simon Lester 26 Nov 2025 4 min read

Symposium on Tariffs and Trade Wars

Law professor Csongor István Nagy sends the following: Jointly organized by the ELTE Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, the University of Galway’s LLM in International and Comparative Business Law, and the Hungarian Journal of Legal Studies, this hybrid symposium on December 2, 2025 offers insight into
Simon Lester 24 Nov 2025 1 min read

Exemplars vs. Precedents in WTO Law

As most of this blog's readers are aware, there has been controversy over the "permissible interpretation" language in the legal standard of review in AD Agreement Article 17.6(ii).
Simon Lester 20 Nov 2025 4 min read

Should Congress Codify Trump's Trade Deals?

For the purposes of domestic law, the trade deals negotiated by the Trump administration have been concluded as executive agreements, and there is no indication that the administration wants Congress to approve them via statute. Some members of Congress have raised this possibility though.
Simon Lester 17 Nov 2025 4 min read

Impact of the October 2025 US-China Detente On United States-Mexico Trade

On October 29, 2025, President Trump and Chinese Communist Party Chairman Li concluded a limited detente in their ongoing trade war. (U.S-China Trade Agreement) This trade deal, largely a return to the status quo in February-April 2025 is scheduled to continue for a year. The compromise was
David A. Gantz 13 Nov 2025 11 min read

Reviewing the USMCA

Pursuant to the review of the USMCA provided for in Article 34.7, USTR has requested comments and is holding a hearing. USTR's comments portal shows 1,515 comments submitted, so a lot of people had things to say!
Simon Lester, Inu Manak 12 Nov 2025 3 min read

Trump's Cambodia Trade Deal, Arms Exports, and the Role of Non-Trade Concessions

In this post, I'm going to talk about some aspects of the recent U.S. trade deal with Cambodia that I haven't heard raised yet, including the following questions: (1) Is the decision to allow U.S. arms exports to Cambodia pursuant to this deal designed to boost U.S. manufacturing?
Simon Lester 10 Nov 2025 4 min read

Is Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act a Fall-Back Option for Trump to Impose Tariffs?

Without IEEPA authority, as we have all discussed, where there is a will, there is a way. In all likelihood, this way involves the expanded use of other statutory authorities, such as Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. In
Mona Paulsen 07 Nov 2025 4 min read

Roundup of IEEPA Hearing Commentary

I listened to today's Supreme Court hearing on the IEEPA tariff cases, but it was clear to me that I am not well-positioned to offer good insights on how the Court might rule. (The transcript is here if anyone wants to give this kind of tea leaf reading a shot themselves).
Simon Lester 05 Nov 2025 8 min read

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Governments Make Their Case Against Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs

Last month, USTR made a determination in its Section 301 investigation into "Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure To Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced With Forced Labor."
10 Jul 2026 5 min read

How Should the EU Get Tough with China? Unilateral Action vs. WTO Complaints

I've seen several recent calls for the EU to get tougher in its economic relations with China, along with arguments that it has been too slow to act against the Chinese economic threat.
06 Jul 2026 4 min read

Trump Administration Decides Not To Extend USMCA for Another Term: What Does That Mean Exactly?

Today, as part of the first joint review of the USMCA, the three governments held a virtual meeting.
01 Jul 2026 4 min read

Competing Views of Sovereignty: The Haves vs. The Have Nots in AI (and Steel)

It's interesting to watch how political leaders craft narratives around economic competition that reflect their own country's strengths and weaknesses.
29 Jun 2026 4 min read

A law of many meanings: Exchange Actions under the GATT and IMF

Earlier this week, Simon Lester posted about the EU’s concerns with the undervaluation of the Chinese currency. He situated the recent demands for trade restrictions against a longstanding debate about the function of GATT Article XV:4.
25 Jun 2026 8 min read

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