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The WTO Tuna-Dolphin Dispute: Some Novel Procedural Developments

For a while, the Mexico-U.S. WTO dispute over U.S. measures related to dolphin-safe labels on tuna was pretty conventional. Mexico brought a complaint; the U.S. lost. The U.S. revised its regulations, and Mexico challenged the new regulations in an Article 21.5 proceeding. The
Simon Lester 11 May 2016 2 min read

Trade Bloggers on TV

With all of the trade talk in the U.S. presidential election, there has been some demand for commentary, to make sense of it all. Personally, I can't make sense of much in this election, but nevertheless here's Joel on Fox News talking about the Democratic
Simon Lester 09 May 2016 1 min read

Job Opening: Director of Legal Affairs at the WTO

Here are some of the details: The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking to fill the position of Director in the Legal Affairs Division. General Functions Reporting to a Deputy Director-General (DDG), the incumbent will lead the Legal Affairs Division, which is primarily responsible for assisting dispute settlement panels
Simon Lester 09 May 2016 2 min read

Trump's Trade Delusions

Donald Trump talked about trade today: Greeted by supporters chanting "build the wall" as well as protesters, Donald Trump rallied thousands in Nebraska. Trump spoke for about 35 minutes, highlighting issues like trade and immigration. He made a point of saying he tailored his message for Nebraska, talking
Simon Lester 06 May 2016 1 min read

Hillary Clinton on the TPP

From the Washington Post: Clinton, the Democratic pres­idential front-runner, responded in writing to a question on the lame-duck session from a coalition of Oregon labor unions and environmental groups by stating: “I oppose the TPP agreement — and that means before and after the election.” ... On the Oregon
Simon Lester 06 May 2016 1 min read

Protectionism

Regular readers know how much I like to obsess over the meaning of "protectionism" and the purpose of trade agreements. Sweden's National Board of Trade has a great new report that delves into these questions. Here's an excerpt: As mentioned, the approaches to protectionism
Simon Lester 04 May 2016 1 min read

Obama on the TPP

This is from President Obama in an op-ed pushing for the TPP: ... China is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting American jobs, businesses and goods at risk. ... Fortunately, America has a plan of our
Simon Lester 04 May 2016 2 min read

Will TTIP be "Light"?

This is from Inside US Trade: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and German Economic Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Monday (April 25) each blamed the other side for holding up progress in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, with Gabriel charging the U.S. with intransigence on government
Simon Lester 02 May 2016 3 min read

Can Trade Agreements Change Domestic Laws?

This is from EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström: It begs to be said, again and again: No EU trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment. Trade agreements will not change our laws on GMOs, or how to produce safe
Simon Lester 02 May 2016 1 min read

Maybe Purpose Can Be Part of Non-Discrimination After All

Reading further in the Argentina - Financial Services AB report, maybe I was getting all worked up over nothing.  After seeming to say that "regulatory aspects" of the measure cannot be considered as a separate step in the conditions of competition/treatment no less favorable analysis, the AB then
Simon Lester 29 Apr 2016 1 min read

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Why Section 338 Does Not Work in a GATT/WTO World: Lessons from Trade Law History

On July 21, 2026, President Trump exercised his authority under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (hereinafter Section 338) to impose the maximum amount of additional tariffs (fifty per cent) on Canadian cars, alcohol, and dairy, owing to his determination of Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US exports.
23 Jul 2026 10 min read

EU WTO Reform Proposal Seeks To Extend Accession-Based State Enterprise Rules To All Members

In a new WTO reform paper entitled "Further Reflections on Disciplines, Subsidies and Industrial policy," the EU argues for stronger WTO disciplines on the behavior of state enterprises.
17 Jul 2026 5 min read

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

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